Financial Toxicity Is Associated with Poorer Quality of Life in Thyroid Cancer Survivors

Abstract

Background More than 50,000 Americans are diagnosed with thyroid cancer each year (1). Owing to excellent survival rates, with a 5-year survival rate reaching 98%, it is estimated that more than 750,000 thyroid cancer survivors are living in the United States (1,2). In view of the fact that thyroid cancer mostly affects younger individuals, the majority of thyroid cancer patients are working-age adults who do not yet qualify for government health insurance benefits. Prior studies have indicated that thyroid cancer patients are at risk for financial burden and have high rates of bankruptcy (3,4). Additionally, it has been shown that severe financial distress, a state that may require bankruptcy protection after a cancer diagnosis, appears to be a risk factor for mortality (4). Despite evidence that financial burden and distress are common in thyroid cancer survivors, their impact on quality of life in this population is understudied. The main objective of this study (5) was to evaluate the magnitude of financial burden among thyroid cancer survivors and the impact of that burden on health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

The "not so good" thyroid cancer: a scoping review on risk factors associated with anxiety, depression and quality of life

“…Several studies have reported an association between socioeconomic factors and anxiety, depression, or QoL in TC patients ( Tables 1 – 3 ) [ 14 , 19 , 23 , 25 , 28 , 33 - 50 ].…”

“…Financial strain and employment status have also been associated with anxiety, depression, or QoL in TC [ 15 , 24 , 26 , 28 , 35 , 44 , 47 - 50 ]. Financial difficulties were reported in 43% of TC survivors, leading to higher levels of anxiety and depression, lost productivity, and an inability to change jobs [ 48 ].…”

“…Low-income TC patients experienced higher rates and longer periods of depression one year after thyroidectomy compared to higher-income patients [ 28 ]. Similarly, lower socio-economic backgrounds were linked to increased cancer-related worry and worse QoL scores [ 15 , 35 , 50 ]. Hossain et al .…”

“…Several studies have identified disease-specific factors associated with anxiety, depression, and low QoL in TC patients [ 22 , 23 , 26 , 28 , 39 , 44 , 45 , 50 , 51 ]. These factors include tumor TNM stage and the presence of metastases, physical symptoms, current active disease or cancer recurrence, and time since diagnosis and treatment.…”

“…Another disease-related risk factor for TC patients is the time since diagnosis and treatment. Several studies [ 23 , 43 , 50 ] reported that a longer time since diagnosis was associated with a better QoL. In addition, TC patients in the later stages of survivorship (>5 years) had less cancer-related worry than those in the earlier stages [ 39 ].…”