Financial Toxicity in Patients With Early-stage Breast Cancer

Assessing Prevalence of Financial Burden and Impact of Cancer on Financial toxicIty in Patients With Early-stage Breast Cancer

Non-profit, multicenter, prospective, observational study. This study aims to evaluate whether the articulated treatment algorithm that is now possible for early-stage breast cancer patients does produce tangible changes of financial distress over the time and whether the determinants of financial distress change their relative weight over the time.

PROFFIT questionnaire is an Italian instrument for evaluating FT in cancer patients in the Italian healthcare context. It includes 16 total items, 7 measuring FT (defining the PROFFIT financial score) and 9 measuring possible determinants of FT. Primary aim of this study is to describe the rate of patients with early breast cancer experiencing financial toxicity (defined as a change of ≥18 points in the PROFFIT-score [items 1-7]) one year after the beginning of the first oncological treatment. In addition, among secondary aims of this study, we aim to verify whether FT is associated with quality of life response , and with disease free survival and overall survival.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Signed informed consent form
• Age > 18 years at the time of study entry
• Histologically confirmed stage I-III invasive breast carcinoma before starting any systemic treatment.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Stage IV invasive breast carcinoma
• Major cognitive dysfunction or psychiatric disorders
• Any previous systemic treatment for the current breast cancer