Lasting Financial and Professional Impacts Among Survivors of Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND

Patients with early-onset colorectal cancer (age < 50) are vulnerable to unique psychosocial consequences given their developmental stage in life. Younger adults are often establishing their careers and families, and a cancer diagnosis can contribute to financial and professional instability. However, the lived experiences of patients with early-onset colorectal cancer have largely been underexplored.

OBJECTIVE

To characterize the financial and professional experiences of patients with early-onset colorectal cancer.

DESIGN

Semistructured interviews with patients with early-onset colorectal cancer.

SETTINGS: Multicenter study across 7 academic medical centers.

PATIENTS: Patients diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer before aged 50years.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Thematic analysis of financial and professional impacts from early-onset colorectal cancer. Exploration of risk factors and drivers of these effects.

RESULTS

Participants described a range of lasting impacts related to professional and financial impacts following early-onset colorectal cancer, from minimal to severe. Financial impacts included treatment costs, indirect expenses, income loss, reduced assets, and debt. Professional impacts included physical, cognitive, psychologic challenges, and career disruptions. Certain protective factors like supportive work environments or good insurance appeared to mitigate the severity the impacts experienced.

LIMITATIONS: Limitations include recall, negativity, and survivorship biases.

CONCLUSIONS

Survivors of early-onset colorectal cancer face persistent financial and professional effects. Many younger adults have variable access to paid leave and public assistance programs, exacerbating the strain of early-onset colorectal cancer. Protective factors, such as a supportive workplace, access to paid time off, and flexible accommodations, must be strengthened and expanded to better care for the growing population of younger adult cancer survivors. See Video Abstract.