Cancer treatment is often expensive and lays a heavy burden on the patient and their family. Households with a cancer-afflicted family member experience a spending increase of 36% to 44% as opposed to households without a cancer patient. Additionally, cancer costs have risen significantly in recent history. Breast cancer treatment costs quadrupled from 2000 to 2015. The cost of treatment results in great strain on cancer-afflicted families, especially low income families, and is just the first of several challenges that they face.
Effects of Chemotherapy
On top of the financial burden, cancer and cancer treatment cause a number physical changes, which includes but is not limited to:
These side effects can make the fight against cancer exhausting and can reduce a patients confidence. The chart on the right side of the page describes these effects in greater detail.
Undergoing cancer treatment such as chemotherapy is an extremely stressful ordeal for patients and families. The side effects of chemotherapy, the high cost of treatment and the danger of cancer itself are all what makes cancer such a difficult battle for many. This causes a wide range of emotions, such as fear, anger, and anxiety. Patients sometimes begin to lose hope, and families often feel powerless to help their loved ones. These factors place great strain upon relationships and may produce more issues.
All of these challenges make it easy for one to believe the fight against cancer cannot be won. It is indeed a difficult battle, and cannot be easily won alone. Thus it is essential for cancer-afflicted families to have a strong support network from which they can draw strength. By counseling these families, connecting patients with each other, and introducing them to cancer survivors, they can regain hope and the will to finish the fight.