NATIONAL PULSE – The out-of-pocket costs of the fight against cancer

One-third face challenging cancer journeys because of career setbacks, barriers to treatment

By ANGUS REID INSTITUTE

February 4, 2025 – Cancer touches nearly all Canadian lives at some point or another, whether through a personal diagnosis – approaching half (45%) will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetimes – or experiencing it second-hand through a friend or family member.

However, there remains an underreported burden of the disease – the financial costs of cancer treatment that occur despite Canada’s public health-care system.

New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society finds one-quarter (23%) of Canadians diagnosed with cancer reporting they faced “substantial out-of-pocket costs,” which caused difficulties making ends meet.

One-in-five (21%) say it was difficult to pay their household expenses and others struggled with their rent (17%) or mortgage payments (13%). But perhaps the greatest impact out-of-pocket costs had on Canadians was on retirement savings. Two-in-five (40%) cancer patients report that portion of their budget suffered as they dealt with treatment.

These out-of-pocket costs came as many cancer patients – and those who know a family member, friend or colleague with cancer – report career difficulties followed a diagnosis.

Among working age Canadians with proximity to cancer, three-in-ten (31%) say a cancer diagnosis required “significant unpaid time off”, while seven per cent say a cancer diagnosis cost themself or a loved one career advancement opportunities.

One-in-ten (10%) say they, or someone they know, lost their job while they were in treatment for cancer.

In the wake of dueling ongoing crises of a rising cost of living, and a strained health-care system, this report includes a Cancer Experience Index (CEI), which assesses Canadians’ barriers and challenges while going through their cancer treatment journey.

Factoring in difficulties such as the career setbacks and job loss, as well as struggles and delays with accessing diagnosis, treatment and care, more than one-third (37%) of those personally diagnosed with cancer have faced challenging or very challenging treatment journeys.

This data is further reinforced by the two-in-five (39%) of those who know a close friend, colleague or family member who was diagnosed with cancer and report similar struggles with access to care and career challenges.

More Key Findings:

• At an already difficult time in their life as they deal with cancer diagnosis, a majority of Canadians who have had cancer themselves, or are close to someone diagnosed, say that financial setbacks including unpaid time off or job loss had a “major” negative effect on their or a close friend or family member’s mental health.

• Most Canadians (56%) believe either their provincial government (38%) or the federal government (18%) should bear the main responsibility for bearing out-of-pocket costs related to cancer care. Few (7%) say it should fall to the cancer patients themselves.

• Asked how they would financially handle an additional $260 per month due to out-of-pocket costs from cancer treatment, four-in-five (77%) working age Canadians who have not been diagnosed say it would be difficult for them to save for retirement in such a scenario. As well, more than two-in-five of this group say the additional costs of cancer treatment would make covering rent (44%) or their mortgage (45%) difficult.

Link to the poll here: www.angusreid.org/

Download .PDF with detailed tables, graphs and methodology.