Coping mechanisms for financial toxicity: a qualitative study of cancer patients' experiences in Germany

The coping mechanisms employed to deal with objective financial burden following a cancer diagnosis are considered mediators of financial toxicity, specifically for the relationship between increased costs and health outcomes. Using qualitative research, the aim of the study was to explore the financial adjustments experienced by cancer patients and identify key coping mechanisms.

Semistructured interviews with 39 cancer patients (aged from 40 to 86 years) were conducted between May 2017 and April 2018 in Germany. Narratives were transcribed verbatim and analysed via qualitative content analysis.

In all, 28 participants reported that they made financial adjustments related to two major categories: (1) reducing expenditures related to basic needs, luxury needs, and health-related decisions, and (2) increasing financial resources by saving less, using savings, investing manpower, obtaining help from third parties, incurring bank debt, and making health-related decisions. Typically, cancer patients both reduced expenditures and increased financial resources, but no typical patterns of combinations of coping mechanisms could be identified. However, reducing spending on basic and luxury needs was found to occur more typically than increasing the available money through incurring bank debt, making health-related decisions, or investing manpower.

This qualitative study provides a comprehensive understanding of the complexity of the coping mechanisms used by patients to address either higher costs or changed needs and priorities following a cancer diagnosis. With regard to understanding patients' experiences of subjective financial stress, both increasing financial resources and reducing expenditures, particularly those relating to basic needs and luxury needs as distinct categories, might be relevant and should be considered. The financial situation impacts the treatment of cancer patients since health-related decisions were reported to be made with the aim of increasing financial resources by maintaining an ability to work or reducing expenditures through non-adherence.