What's more toxic? Cancer or the costs?

In 10 seconds? Beating cancer is expensive. The sum of negative impacts of unaffordable healthcare is called ‘financial toxicity’. Researchers are working to understand the scope of the problem and propose solutions.

What exactly does financial toxicity mean? Financial toxicity occurs when paying for medical care negatively impacts someone’s ability to afford their usual expenses. Beyond material losses, financial toxicity frequently causes psychological stress which negatively impacts a person’s sense of security and well-being, directly affecting not just patients but also families and sometimes communities.