Financial Burden of Cancer on Patients Treated at a Tertiary Health Facility in South West Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Cancer is a growing health concern in the world. The financial burden of cancer affects not only cancer patients and their families, but also the society as a whole. In Nigeria there is a dearth of information about the financial burden of cancer on patients. Hence, there is need to estimate the cost of cancer treatment and to show the resources being allocated to the problem. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to estimate the financial burden of cancer on patients treated at a tertiary heath facility in South West Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional study and patients were interviewed using a set of questionnaires that addresses sociodemographic and economic questions involving medical and nonmedical costs (direct medical costs). DATA ANALYSIS: Data obtained were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 21.0. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies (%), mean, standard deviation, median, range and P-value were used to highlight important and relevant features of the data. For ease of analysis some of the variables such as sociodemographic, medical, and nonmedical costs were grouped or categorized. RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty cancer patients participated in the study. The mean age of the patients was 54.1 (standard deviation [SD] = 13.4) years and majority were females (81.4%). Approximately one-third of the respondents were those with breast (35.9%) and cervical (35.5%) cancers, respectively. Majority perceived financial burden as a result of cancer to be significant (82.7%). The mean annual income of patients was $5,548.7(SD = $7,245.4). The main sources of income for their treatments were from their children (26.8%). The mean total cost incurred by patients with cancer was $5306.9 (SD = $5045.7), with medical costs accounting for the highest percentage $3889.4 (SD = $4372.9); 73.0% and nonmedical costs of $1417.5 (SD = $1085.6); 27.0%. Patients with colorectal cancer incurred the highest cost, whereas cervical cancer patients incurred the least cost. CONCLUSION: Financing cancer management is a major challenge for both patients and their caregivers. Cancer care also results in a loss of economic income available to the community/country.