The Impact of Cancer-related Financial Hardship on Quality of Life among Rural Women

• In Event: 3129 - Section on Medical Sociology Refereed Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 27. Financial Strain and Health

Abstract

The population of cancer survivors in the United States reached 15.5 million in 2016, and is projected to total over 20 million by 2026. Cancer is the most expensive disease to treat in the United States in terms of expenditures per person. Research indicates that cancer's financial burden is related to lower quality of life for cancer survivors. Currently, no research has examined this relationship among rural cancer survivors. This paper examines whether cancer-related financial hardship, including cancer-related debt and work interruption, is related to current quality of life (QOL) among rural women cancer survivors.

Authors

• Emily Hallgren, University of Illinois-Chicago

• Leslie Carnahan, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Karriem S. Watson, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Yamile Molina, University of Illinois at Chicago