Financial Toxicity: The Systemic Toll of Cancer Care

In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Lucio N. Gordan, MD, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, elaborates on the multifaceted economic complexities of financial toxicity and its broader impact on the healthcare system at large.

Read the full interview here.

Dr Gordan defines financial toxicity as the multifaceted economic burden arising from the total cost of care. In oncology, this encompasses the costs of essential treatments such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and other medical infusions, as well as facility fees and drug markups common in hospital-based facilities.

According to Dr Gordan, this phenomenon manifests as a systemic crisis, creating toxicity for commercial and federal payers, the broader national economy, and providers. Importantly, this financial strain often impacts individual patients directly, translating into higher fees and increased copayments, which are particularly burdensome at the beginning of the year before their out-of-pocket maximums have been reached.