You’re making a difference to Victorians struggling with the financial cost of cancer.
With the cost-of-living crisis impacting more Victorian households, many more people are finding it harder to make ends meet, leaving them vulnerable if additional hardship arises.
For those diagnosed with cancer, an already tenuous financial situation has the potential to have serious implications. Out-of-pocket, and often unavoidable, costs incurred during cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, can lead to ‘financial toxicity’ and ‘bill shock’ that may impact the health and wellbeing of people affected by cancer.
When Vicki was diagnosed with aggressive stage 1 cancer in her lungs, the financial stress all became too much. She had only recently started a new job and with no accumulated leave or sick pay, she had no income to sustain her during her recovery after life-saving surgery.
“Someone brought some mail in for me, and it was all bills. Electricity, gas and my car rego were all due. My savings had already gone to paying for all the visits to the specialists,” said Vicki. “When those bills started piling up, I was just so scared. I’ve never been in debt in my life.”
The financial burden of cancer care is increasingly considered a side effect of cancer treatment. It can lead directly to poorer treatment outcomes and early mortality if patients are forced to abandon expensive treatment, delay or miss medical appointments, or are unable to buy prescribed medicines.
Vicki’s financial situation worsened while undergoing three months of chemotherapy. Calling 13 11 20, she was connected with financial counsellor, Antony.
“When I spoke to him, I was crying on the phone. Antony was really lovely. The way he spoke to me made me feel like I was getting a hug,” said Vicki.
Helping people to identify and access financial supports during their cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, Cancer Council Victoria’s financial counselling services help relieve stress for people with cancer so they can focus on getting better.
“Putting in place supports that allow patients to manage their finances is particularly important at a time when the effects of both the disease and treatment can impact their ability to respond to financial matters,” said Antony. “I’m here to assist people to get the right advice for their financial circumstances and to help relieve some of the pressure of the cost of a cancer diagnosis.”