News and Analysis

Financial toxicity refers to the hardship experienced by patients due to medical treatment costs. In Canada, a third of cancer patients suffer from this side-effect of their treatment, which also affects caregivers. The World Bank estimates up to 23% of people in countries like Canada face catastrophic expenses due to surgical care, with instances of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events contributing to earning declines. Costs also burden food-allergic families, who may face up to $7,000 in out-of-pocket expenses at outpatient clinics for unprescribed treatments.