Financial Toxicity

Background:
The financial impact of cancer on the individual patient is often characterised as an objective and a subjective financial burden. The objective financial burden gives no information on how the patient himself perceives the financial impact and the consequences on his life; this view is provided by the subjective financial burden, which describes the impact and consequences of the objective costs on the patient. This often results in material consequences, psychological effects, or behavioural changes, which then are expressed as a “financial toxicity”. The currently existing tools are either only narrowly validated, are generic economic tools, are restricted to a certain health care system, are restricted to a specific cancer site, or do not cover all relevant domains of financial toxicity.

Objective:
The aim of this Phase I study is to develop a list of issues related to financial toxicity in cancer patients. This Phase I study will result in an evidence-based decision about the appropriateness of a full module versus add-on items for financial toxicity and a final, comprehensive list of issues to be included in Phase 2, regardless of whether Phase 2 is a full module or add-on items.
Procedures:
The usual EORTC Quality of Life Group steps for Phase I development of a QLG module will be followed. This includes evaluation of the financial issues relevant for cancer patients through a systematic literature review and interviews with patients and care providers and the creation of a final issue list

• Literature Review complete
• 11 qualitative interviews at 2 sites complete.
• Ethical approval for qualitative interviews obtained by 6 sites so far.

Current status:

Enrolling patients in Phase 1a (qualitative interviews in countries were little to no information was found in the literature review).

• The current proposed list of issues based on the literature review results will be modified based on discussions within the project group and the results of the Phase 1a interviews.
• A final list of issues will be created based on the literature review and the qualitative interviews, which will then be translated into each collaborator’s language for the Phase 1b interviews (the typical Phase 1 interviews for Module Development).

The aim of this project is to develop a questionnaire which measures the financial toxicity/subjective financial burden of cancer patients.