(0222) Financial Hardships Faced by Survivors of Head and Neck Cancer in the State of Arkansas

Introduction: Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) often undergo extensive treatment and medical management that are accompanied by high costs of care. These high costs can impose a significant financial burden on HNC survivors leading to impacts on care, treatment adherence, and quality of life. This study seeks to characterize the financial burden associated with head and neck cancer in Arkansas.

Methods: This survey, conducted between 2022 and 2023, explores survivors with HNC in the state of Arkansas. All participants received a standardized questionnaire consisting of 107 questions that investigated cancer treatment experiences, current health and quality of life, and barriers to care faced by survivors. Topics assessed by the questionnaire included sociodemographic information, financial burden, and psychological problems.

Results: In total, 57 HNC patients, aged 24-86 with a mean of 64, participated in the survey. Patients were predominantly male (65%), White (81%), and married (58%). The largest proportion of patients were retired (46%) with smaller proportions being employed (28%) and disabled (16%). Of the patients, 25% reported struggling to pay for basic needs such as rent/mortgage, utilities, or food. Additionally, 26% reported borrowing money or going into debt as a result of costs associated with their diagnosis. Patients reported negative feelings about their household’s income at the time of their diagnosis (52%) and at the time of completing the survey (60%). Despite these negative impacts on financial health, almost all patients (96%) reported receiving all medical tests and treatments deemed necessary. 70% did not have changes in care as a result of costs. A small number of patients reported changes to prescriptions, follow-up, or visits to specialists as a result of costs.

Conclusions: Patients with HNC experience increased financial burden that can negatively impact their quality of life. Increased financial burden does not seem to have major effects on the care these patients receive. These results highlight the need for more research to characterize the effects of costs on treatment among HNC patients.