A Prospective Survey of Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity in Japanese Cancer Patients: Report on a Pilot Study

Overview

Journal Ecancermedicalscience

Specialty Oncology

Date 2018 Aug 7

PMID 30079109

Citations 22

Authors

Kazunori Honda

Bishal Gyawali

Masashi Ando

Keiji Sugiyama

Seiichiro Mitani

Toshiki Masuishi

Yukiya Narita

Hiroya Taniguchi

Shigenori Kadowaki

Takashi Ura

Kei Muro

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Financial toxicity (FT) has a negative impact on the quality of life and survival of patients with cancer. The comprehensive score for FT (COST) questionnaire is a tool to measure FT which has already been validated in patients with cancer in the United States. However, the feasibility and validity of assessing FT using the COST questionnaire have not been established in non-US healthcare settings, including that in Japan.

Methods: This is a prospective pilot survey to ascertain the feasibility of using the COST questionnaire to evaluate FT in Japanese patients with advanced solid cancer who had been receiving chemotherapy for at least 2 months. The COST questionnaire was translated into Japanese using Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy methodology.

Results: Of the 12 patients approached, 11 (92%) responded to the questionnaire. The median COST score was 22 (range, 6-29; mean ± SD, 20.18 ± 8.17). Five (45%) and two (18%) patients suffered grade 1 (COST score 14-25) and grade 2 (COST score 1-13) FT, respectively. The COST measure demonstrated good internal consistency with a Cronbach of 0.87.

Conclusions: The COST measure demonstrated good feasibility in measuring FT in the Japanese healthcare setting. Despite the existing universal health insurance system and ceiling amount for high-cost medical expenses, some Japanese patients experienced meaningful FT during chemotherapy. A prospective study is already underway to confirm the preliminary results (UMIN: 000025043).

Citing Articles

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Cancer survivor preferences on the timing and content of interventions to mitigate financial toxicity associated with cancer treatment.

Huq M, Schwartz M, Derry-Vick H, Khoudary A, Sorgen L, Billini O Support Care Cancer. 2024; 32(12):778.

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Influence of age on financial toxicity in cancer patients.

Wang L, Sun R, Tian L, Xu R Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs. 2024; 11(9):100552.

PMID: 39220148 PMC: 11362785. DOI: 10.1016/j.apjon.2024.100552.

Validation of the COmprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (COST) in Vietnamese patients with cancer.

Tran B, Le D, Nguyen T, Nguyen M, Nguyen M, Dang C PLoS One. 2024; 19(6):e0306339.

PMID: 38941304 PMC: 11213330. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306339.

The impact of humanitarian aid on financial toxicity among cancer patients in Northwest Syria.

Al-Abdulla O, Sonsuz A, Alaref M, Albakor B, Kauhanen J BMC Health Serv Res. 2024; 24(1):641.

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