Page 11 - 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

Impact on treatment continuity outreach and CSR-supported financial assistance
have further improved access. For many patients,
Financial hardship is often linked with delayed quality care closer to home means reduced travel
diagnosis, treatment interruptions, missed follow- costs, fewer treatment interruptions and better
ups, poor compliance and, in severe cases, treatment compliance.
treatment abandonment. These decisions are
rarely medical. They often arise from the difficult Towards patient-centred care
choice between healthcare needs and essential As oncology moves towards precision medicine,
household expenses. immunotherapy and personalised treatment,
The burden is higher for patients undergoing affordability must remain a parallel priority.
prolonged treatment. Radiation therapy may Addressing financial toxicity should be seen as
require daily visits over several weeks, while an essential part of cancer care, not merely a
chemotherapy may involve repeated cycles socioeconomic concern.
over months. Even after treatment is completed, The success of cancer treatment is not measured
surveillance, investigations, medicines, side- only by tumour response or survival statistics. It
effect management and rehabilitation continue to is also reflected in our ability to protect patients
create expenses. and families from the economic consequences

of illness. A truly patient-centred system ensures
Why care closer to home matters
that access to life-saving treatment is guided by
When cancer services are available closer to medical need, not financial capacity.
patients, families can reduce travel costs, avoid
repeated long-distance stays, continue treatment
more consistently and lower the risk of treatment
interruption.

Improving access to cancer care
Government health schemes such as Ayushman Cancer should
Bharat and Assam’s Mukhya Mantri Lok Sevak challenge the
Arogya Yojana have helped reduce the direct cost disease, not the
of treatment for many patients. Yet indirect costs, dignity, livelihood
including travel, accommodation, nutritional
support and loss of wages, continue to remain or future of the
major barriers to comprehensive care. family fighting it.
Assam Cancer Care Foundation has helped
address these challenges by decentralising
cancer services and establishing centres closer to
patients’ homes. Patient navigation, community

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