Financial Toxicity Working Group

  • GROUP Survivorship
  • PROJECT SPAN 2024
  • DATE 01/01/2024

Background

A plenary on financial toxicity at the 2020 COSA ASM catalysed the establishment of the Financial Toxicity Working Group as a sub-group of the COSA Survivorship Group. Working Group members represent a broad range of expertise from around Australia, and includes consumers and Cancer Council representation. Find out more about the Working Group's activities below.

Details on this project

 

Raymond Chan 
Financial Toxicity Working Group Co-Chair

        

    

megan varlow co-chair financial toxicity working group

Megan Varlow 
Financial Toxicity Working Group Co-Chair

Financial toxicity is:

"The negative patient-level impact of the cost of cancer. It is the combined impact of direct out-of-pocket costs and indirect costs and the changing financial circumstances of an individual and their household due to cancer, its diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and palliation, causing both physical and psychological harms, affecting decisions which can lead to suboptimal cancer outcomes."

Read COSA's Financial Toxicity in Cancer Care Definition Statement 

The Roadmap to Reducing Financial Toxicity Experienced by People Affected by Cancer aims to identify and implement initiatives across the cancer care ecosystem that reduce, and ultimately eliminate, financial stress from decisions regarding access to optimal treatment and care. 

The need for a comprehensive and collaborative approach to reducing financial toxicity in cancer care was a key outcome of the Working Group's National Think Tank on Financial Toxicity in Cancer Care. 

COSA has previously endorsed the Standard for Informed Financial Consent as a key component of delivering quality care (developed by Breast Cancer Network Australia, Cancer Council Australia, Canteen and Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia).

Financial Toxicity survey of Australian Health Professionals

Our Working Group conducted a national survey to understand how healthcare professionals perceive and approach financial toxicity. Two papers on this work have now been published:

Opinions and strategies of Australian health professionals on tackling cancer-related financial toxicity: A nationwide survey

Challenges and solutions to cancer-related financial toxicity according to Australian health professionals: qualitative results from a national survey 

Financial toxicity papers by COSA Members

Prof Raymond Chan: ways of addressing financial toxicity (recorded by the limbic at the 2023 COSA ASM) 

Five steps out of financial toxicity (published by Oncology Republic following the 2023 COSA ASM)

Cancer's unspoken financial burden (2023 COSA ASM media release)

COSA leads the charge against financial toxicity (2023 COSA ASM Daily Digest) 

"Where was I going to find this money? - Cancer's unseen side effect" (from the UNSW newsroom)

Collaborative webinar: Challenging the misconception that nothing can be done to address financial toxicity.

- For cancer information and support contact Cancer Council’s Information and Support Line on 13 11 20

- For financial, legal or workplace resources visit https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/cancer-information/legal-work-and-financial-issues/

- Cancer Council Financial cost of cancer policy 

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