Associations between financial toxicity, health-related quality of life, and well-being in Indonesian patients with breast cancer

Objectives

Financial toxicity (FT) is the impairment of financial well-being experienced by patients with cancer, categorized into subjective (SFT) and objective (OFT) forms. This study aimed to investigate the associations between FT, health-related quality of life, and overall well-being in patients with breast cancer.

Methods

We analyzed baseline data from a single-center longitudinal study in Indonesia. Patients completed the EQ-5D-5L, EQ Health and Wellbeing (EQ-HWB), COST: A FACIT Measure of Financial Toxicity (FACIT-COST, for measuring SFT), and OFT-related questions. Ordinal logistic regression was used to examine the associations between FT and selected EQ-5D-5L and EQ-HWB items. Multivariable linear regression was used to assess the associations of FT and EQ-5D-5L and EQ-HWB-S index values. The main regression models were adjusted for socio-demographic and clinical factors such as age, income, metastasis status, and symptoms.

Results

The survey included 300 female patients with breast cancer undergoing treatment (mean age = 51). Overall, 21% experienced high SFT (FACIT-COST ≤ 17.5) and 51% reported any OFT (e.g., incurring debt). Adjusted for covariates, higher SFT was associated with more problems in EQ-5D-5L pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression, and in EQ-HWB exhaustion, anxiety, sadness/depression, frustration, pain, and discomfort. OFT was associated with more problems in exhaustion. Higher SFT was associated with lower EQ-5D-5L and EQ-HWB-S index values, with explained variances of 46.3% for EQ-HWB-S and 31.2% for EQ-5D-5L.

Conclusions

This study is the first to explore the associations between financial toxicity, EQ-5D-5L, and EQ-HWB outcomes in breast cancer. Our findings provide insight into the cancer burden and its link to health and well-being.