Page 10 - Essentia Vol 5 Issue 1

VOL V | ISSUE I | 5 AUGUST 2026 VOL V | ISSUE I | 5 AUGUST 2026
A BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF ASSAM CANCER CARE FOUNDATION A BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF ASSAM CANCER CARE FOUNDATION

The Hidden Cost of
Cancer

Understanding

Financial Toxicity

in Oncology

Lt Col (Dr) Nishant Lohia
Consultant, Radiation Oncologist
Kokrajhar Cancer Centre

The burden beyond treatment Financial toxicity refers to the economic burden
faced by patients and families because of cancer
Cancer is often seen as a disease that demands diagnosis and treatment. Like treatment-related
complex medical interventions such as surgery, side effects, it can affect quality of life, treatment
chemotherapy, radiation therapy and targeted adherence, psychological well-being and,
treatment. Beyond the physical suffering and ultimately, clinical outcomes.
emotional distress, however, lies another often
overlooked challenge: financial toxicity. How cancer affects families financially
In India, especially in geographically challenging
regions such as Assam and the North-East, the cost
of cancer extends far beyond treatment. Patients
often travel long distances from remote villages
Ê Travel to to tertiary centres. Transport, accommodation,
treatment food, investigations and repeated hospital visits
centres can quickly add pressure to already vulnerable
Ê Accommodation households.
and food expenses For many families, cancer also disrupts income.
Ê Diagnostic investigations Farmers may miss critical work seasons, daily
Ê Repeated hospital visits wage earners lose income with every hospital visit,

Ê Loss of daily wages or income and small business owners struggle to balance
Ê Caregiver’s loss of work treatment with livelihood. Caregivers too may
give up work or income-generating activities to
Ê Follow-up, medicines and rehabilitation support the patient. In this way, cancer can affect
costs the financial stability of an entire family.

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