A new report has discovered that those living with cancer will struggle more if they are on a low income.
The report, which was carried out by the Think-tank for Action on Social Change (TASC), concluded that financial stresses can have a negative impact on every stage of a cancer diagnosis, but particularly the recovery stage.
The director of TASC, Shana Cohen, noted that this is having a detrimental impact on cancer patients across the country. “It highlights a plethora of crisscrossing gaps and deficiencies that make cancer a more devastating disease for less well-off individuals and families.”
Doctors involved in the report, titled "Understanding the Challenges of Cancer and Socio-Economic Inequality", are particularly worried about those who do not have regular access to a GP, as this can then delay their ability to receive a diagnosis or a referral for treatment.
For those on low incomes, financial issues such as ambulance and emergency department fees (if they do not have access to insurance or medical cards), transport, car parks and accommodation can all hinder their desperate need for treatment.
As well as financial problems, lifestyle issues can also prevent a cancer patient from recovering successfully. Those living in low-income households are unlikely to be unable to afford accommodation with beneficial health facilities, such as a gym, a private garden or other green spaces.
In its conclusion, the report detailed that more needs to be done in order to help decrease the inequalities facing cancer patients with financial worries. “In short, while rates of survival for cancer patients across Ireland have risen significantly over the past few decades, there are still large imbalances,” the TASC noted.
The CEO of the Irish Cancer Society, Aevril Power, has sided with the report’s findings and expressed the charity’s frustrations. “It is shameful that people from lower socio-economic backgrounds are significantly more likely to get certain cancers and to die from them,” she stated.
It remains to be seen whether or not low-income cancer patients will receive any additional help in the future.
