Prospective changes in financial toxicity and health-related quality of life in patients with gynecologic cancer

Financial toxicity impacts the treatment choices, daily life, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of cancer patients. We investigated future variations in financial toxicity and HRQoL of patients with gynecologic cancer, evaluated using the COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST) questionnaire.

This multicenter study enrolled patients with gynecologic cancer incurring co-payments for anti-cancer drug treatment for over 2 months. Questionnaires were administered at baseline and at the end of follow-up. Patients completed the COST, EORTC-QLQ-C30, EORTC-QLQ-OV28, EORTC-QLQ-CX24, EORTC-QLQ-EN24, and EQ-5D-5L. Paired t-tests were used to compare the initial and follow-up responses. Spearman’s rank test was used to examine correlations between COST and HRQoL scores.

Ninety-one patients (ovarian, 40; cervical, 18; endometrial, 33) completed the questionnaires at baseline and follow-up. The mean COST score was not significantly different between baseline and end of follow-up (19.56 ± 6.63 and 19.97 ± 7.47, respectively; p = 0.439). Significant correlations were found between COST scores and emotional functioning (r = 0.251, p = 0.023), cognitive functioning (r = 0.254, p = 0.020), and financial difficulties (r = − 0.298, p = 0.006), attitude toward disease/treatment (r = 0.356, p = 0.033), poor body image (r = − 0.362, p = 0.042), back and pelvis pain (r = − 0.451, p = 0.010), and taste change (r = − 0.359, p = 0.040).

During anticancer drug therapy for gynecologic cancer, the COST score remained stable and did not correlate with overall HRQoL, although higher scores were associated with worse HRQoL for specific functions and symptoms.