Financial burden of cancer ‘leads to worse outcomes’ says co-author of report

Canadians with cancer and their caregivers are paying $7.5 billion each year according to a study by the Canadian Cancer Society. That’s an average of $33,000 per individual over a lifetime.

“The more we talk about it, the more people are aware and they know, and then we make a difference, right?”

Vanessa Percoco says she paid even more than that after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2022. 

“I don’t think it was fair for me to stress about, money during the cancer fighting. I think that when you’re going through that phase […] those questions are not supposed to happen,” said Percoco. “It’s such a stressful moment… why couldn’t I just focus on getting better?”

Percoco footed the bill for her colostomy bags, a physiotherapist, nutritionist, osteopath, psychologist, and medication to counter the effects of chemotherapy.

She received 15 weeks of unemployment after having no choice but to leave her new job as a teacher.

“Some nights I was like… ‘should I get the medication to make me feel better during chemo?'” she said. “Or, ‘I need this extra money to pay my rent or my car.'”

Fighting the advanced cancer put everything else in Percoco’s life on hold. She lived with a colostomy bag for almost two years and underwent three surgeries. She spent 40 days in the hospital after surviving a grueling second surgery.

At one point she weighed 95 pounds.

‘A very great concern’

In total, cancer costs society $37 billion, and the patients’ out-of-pocket costs represent 20 per cent of that, according to Ioana Nicolau, co-chair of the Canadian Cancer Statistics Advisory Committee and co-author of the report.

“The study found that people did choose to either delay or forego a necessary treatment because they just couldn’t afford it,” said Nicolau. “They had to make very difficult choices, whether that’s paying rent or buying food and being able to afford their care, so certainly we know that financial strain and financial burden does lead to worse health outcomes… it’s a very great concern.”

The first 12 months after a cancer diagnosis was found to be as equally costly as the continuing care phase.

“That just shows that we really need to support people throughout their cancer experience, not just in the initial diagnosis phase, but also in the continuing care, the surveillance and the maintenance phase,” said Nicolau.

Fifty per cent of the costs were due to the most common cancers–breast, colorectal, lung and prostate. Those cancers can be either detected early or prevented through screening, according to Nicolau.

Haunted by those who ‘let themselves die’

Percoco acknowledges that it’s not realistic to think that everything will be covered, but “maybe a little bit of money each month, every two weeks, or medication completely covered,” she said.

After recovering from the surgery to remove her colostomy bag she was bitten by the travel bug. She’s been working as a substitute teacher and travelling as much as possible ever since.

“I’m very grateful and I’m happy that I survived,” said Percoco, “but what if I hadn’t made it?” 

“I think about these people that just let themselves die because they say, ‘I don’t have the money for it, I can’t pay for a physiotherapist, can’t pay for nutrition, I’m not getting support here… might as well just die,’ and that’s sad because I know it happens.”