On World Cancer Day this year, the conversation extends beyond medical advancements and treatments.
A recent survey by the Canadian Cancer Society found that nearly 80 per cent of working-class Canadians, aged between 18-64, worry they would struggle to save for retirement if faced with a cancer diagnosis.
“Out-of-pocket costs are expenses that cancer patients pay directly from their savings or income to cover treatment like prescription drugs, home care, assistive devices, family care, travel expenses and accommodation,” says Susan Russel-Csanyi, Canadian Cancer Society senior advocacy coordinator.
The report says that cancer costs the average patient around $33,000 over their lifetime.
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“By the first month or so of my diagnosis, I had already put on 1,000 km of mileage on my car,” says Jennifer Borgfjord, co-founder of Breast Screening Advocacy Manitoba and a cancer survivor.
“The younger the cancer patient, the bigger the financial hit,” Borgfjord says. “Not only are they managing their own finances but they might be supporting parents on one end and they’ve got young children on the other end of things.”
The survey found that 28 per cent of working Canadians fear job loss following a cancer diagnosis, while 42 per cent are concerned about being demoted or missing out on career advancement.
“As you move through the process of dealing with the shock of cancer, that budget is the next thing that comes to mind, especially if you don’t have a job where you have a good benefits package or a supportive employer,” she explains.
With cancer rates rising among younger adults (nearly 40 per cent of patients are between 20 and 64) and costs projected to jump 20 per cent in the next decade, the crisis is urgent.
And experts say that World Cancer Day is a reminder that cancer includes not just fighting the disease, but also surviving the financial fallout.
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