Quantifying and addressing self-defined needs in cancer patients

Almost half of cancer patients will deplete their life savings within the first 2 years of treatment, and one-quarter will declare bankruptcy or lose their home, underscoring the substantial financial toxicity of cancer and need to develop innovative solutions. In this analysis, the financial and non-financial needs articulated by an ethnically diverse cancer patient cohort through a novel, patient-driven portal are quantified, with patient-specific factors and correlations with unique needs further examined.

This is a retrospective evaluation of oncology patients at two tertiary care cancer treatment centers in New York and Florida who enrolled on the "We're in This Together" (WiTT) Support Registry™ from 01/2023 to 12/2023 to request assistance across four primary domains (Daily Life, Housing, Health, Transportation). Basic and partial Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) data were collected and analyzed.

Of 223 oncology patients who enrolled on the platform, one-half (49%) were 41-60 years old; 65% female, and 54% Hispanic. Within 12 months, 2,411 patient asks (10.8/patient on average) were made. The majority of asks were financial (95%); distribution by domain was 33% Housing, 31% Daily Life, 18% Health, and 18% Transportation. The total "ask" was $1,320,454, averaging $5,921 per patient. Distribution of asks across domains and amounts varied by cancer type, patient age, ethnicity, and sex.

This novel platform may allow for more effective and customized resource allocation for oncology patients based on self-reported needs. Further research will be required to anticipate needs based on unique characteristics and to develop solutions that better address these current gaps.