Time to address financial hardship being faced by many cancer patients

The financial hardship cancer patients endure is seldom talked about and seldom seen, suggests George F Winter.

It’s bad enough receiving a diagnosis of cancer, but the financial pressure on patients undergoing systemic anti-cancer therapy in Ireland is often heavy but seldom publicised.

A recent report in the Irish Journal of Medical Science reveals that the total additional cost of a complete course of cancer therapy ranges from €21.60 to €7,089.84, with a median total cost of €1,138 per patient.