05/09/2025
💰💔 你聽過「財務毒性」嗎?
在醫療裡,毒性通常指藥物的副作用。
但「財務毒性(Financial Toxicity)」指的卻是——治療帶來的經濟壓力。
📌 什麼是財務毒性?
當一個人罹患癌症或慢性病,除了身體要承受治療的辛苦,往往還要面對龐大的醫療費用。這些花費包括:
• 治療費、藥物費、住院費
• 交通、住宿、營養品
• 甚至因請假或失去工作而減少收入
這種壓力,會讓病人和家庭感覺「錢快要把人壓垮了」,就像一種看不見的毒素。
📌 為什麼重要?
研究發現,財務毒性不只影響生活品質,甚至會讓一些病人:
• 延遲治療
• 減少藥物劑量
• 甚至中斷醫療
而這都可能影響到病情控制與存活率。
📌 我們能怎麼辦?
🌱 醫師與醫療團隊:需要更多關心病人經濟狀況,協助轉介社工或財務支援。
🌱 政府與社會:應該提供合理的健保、補助與藥物給付。
🌱 病人與家屬:可以事先規劃保險、財務,勇敢開口和醫療團隊討論困難。
✨ 財務毒性不是病人的錯,它是我們社會需要一起面對的挑戰。
讓醫療不只治癒身體,也能減輕經濟的重擔。
#財務毒性 #醫病同行 #看不見的副作用
toxicity is the term used to describe the adverse impact of the costs associated with medical care—most notably cancer care—on a patient's financial well-being. It encompasses both the objective financial burden (such as out-of-pocket expenses, medical debt, and loss of income due to illness) and the subjective financial distress (including psychological stress and anxiety related to financial strain) that patients and their families experience as a result of diagnosis and treatment.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
Financial toxicity manifests in three domains: material hardship (e.g., inability to pay bills or afford necessities), psychological distress (e.g., anxiety, depression related to financial strain), and behavioral coping (e.g., delaying or foregoing recommended care due to cost).[3][4][8][10] It is associated with negative clinical outcomes, including decreased quality of life, impaired adherence to treatment, and even increased mortality risk.[5][6][7][9][10] Risk factors include lower income, lack of social support, advanced disease stage, and employment changes due to illness.[8][10]
Validated tools such as the COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST) are used to assess financial toxicity in clinical practice.[5] Addressing financial toxicity requires multidisciplinary interventions, including financial navigation, counseling, and policy-level changes to reduce patient burden.[1][2][3][8]
References
1. Navigating Financial Toxicity in Patients With Cancer: A Multidisciplinary Management Approach. Smith GL, Banegas MP, Acquati C, et al. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2022;72(5):437-453. doi:10.3322/caac.21730.
2. Financial Toxicity in Cancer Care: Implications for Clinical Care and Potential Practice Solutions. Khan HM, Ramsey S, Shankaran V. Journal of Clinical Oncology : Official Journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. 2023;41(16):3051-3058. doi:10.1200/JCO.22.01799.
3. Financial Toxicity: A Practical Review for Gynecologic Oncology Teams to Understand and Address Patient-Level Financial Burdens. Liang MI, Harrison R, Aviki EM, et al. Gynecologic Oncology. 2023;170:317-327. doi:10.1016/j.ygyno.2023.01.035.
4. Financial Toxicity in Cancer Care: Prevalence, Causes, Consequences, and Reduction Strategies. Lentz R, Benson AB, Kircher S. Journal of Surgical Oncology. 2019;120(1):85-92. doi:10.1002/jso.25374.
5. Financial Toxicity in Lung Cancer. Boulanger M, Mitchell C, Zhong J, Hsu M. Frontiers in Oncology. 2022;12:1004102. doi:10.3389/fonc.2022.1004102.
6. The Financial Burden and Distress of Patients With Cancer: Understanding and Stepping-Up Action on the Financial Toxicity of Cancer Treatment. Carrera PM, Kantarjian HM, Blinder VS. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2018;68(2):153-165. doi:10.3322/caac.21443.
7. Assessment of Financial Toxicity Among Older Adults With Advanced Cancer. Arastu A, Patel A, Mohile SG, et al. JAMA Network Open. 2020;3(12):e2025810. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.25810.
8. Financial Toxicity in Older Adults With Cancer and Their Caregivers. Kadambi S, Wang Y, Job A, et al. JCO Oncology Practice. 2025;21(1):92-99. doi:10.1200/OP.24.00105.
9. Financial Toxicity in Patients With Leukemia Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Systematic Review. Pail O, Knight TG. Best Practice & Research. Clinical Haematology. 2023;36(2):101469. doi:10.1016/j.beha.2023.101469.
10. Financial Toxicity in Patients With Resected Lung Cancer. Deboever N, Eisenberg M, Hofstetter WL, et al. Annals of Surgery. 2023;278(6):1038-1044. doi:10.1097/SLA.0000000000005926.