Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42658157›Full record

ArticleSingapore medical journal2026

Financial toxicity among adult cancer survivors in Singapore: does it exist?

Weishan Ivy Ng, Kah Hung Yuen, Tian Meng, Chee Seong Jeremy Tey, Yu Yang Soon, Cho Hao Francis Ho, Su-Yin Joanne Yoong, Brent Gibbons, Balamurugan A Vellayappan

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Article in Singapore medical journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

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No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Weishan Ivy NgDepartment of Radiation Oncology, National University Cancer Institute Singapore, Singapore.
Kah Hung YuenResearch for Impact, Singapore.
Tian MengDepartment of Radiation Oncology, National University Cancer Institute Singapore, Singapore.
Chee Seong Jeremy TeyDepartment of Radiation Oncology, National University Cancer Institute Singapore, Singapore.
Yu Yang SoonDepartment of Radiation Oncology, National University Cancer Institute Singapore, Singapore.
Cho Hao Francis HoDepartment of Radiation Oncology, National University Cancer Institute Singapore, Singapore.
Su-Yin Joanne YoongResearch for Impact, Singapore.
Brent GibbonsCentre for Health Services and Policy Research, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, Singapore.
Balamurugan A VellayappanDepartment of Radiation Oncology, National University Cancer Institute Singapore, Singapore.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionCancer survivors may experience financial toxicity (FT) arising from diagnosis, treatment and potential employment loss. The prevalence of FT in the context of Singapore healthcare model is unknown. We investigate whether higher out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure correlates positively with FT, and whether higher FT correlates with a worse quality of life (QoL).

methodsIn this pilot study, a cross-sectional survey was conducted on survivors of nasopharyngeal or breast cancer at the National University Hospital Singapore. Patients' FT and QoL were measured using the COmprehensive Score on financial Toxicity (COST) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) questionnaires. Two multivariate regression models estimated (a) the association between FT and a range of variables, and (b) the association between FT and QoL.

resultsSixty-three percent of our cohort of 76 patients experienced mild-moderate FT. Overall, the mean COST and FACT-G scores were 18.0 (out of 44) and 68.3 (out of 108), respectively. There was a positive correlation between COST and FACT-G scores (r = 0.45). We did not find any significant association between OOP expenditure and FT. Predictors for FT included government-subsidised housing, lower education levels, hire of a formal caregiver and the need for household members to take on extra employment.

conclusionGreater FT correlated with a decline in QoL. Patients of lower socioeconomic status were at higher risk of FT. OOP expenditure was not directed related to FT, likely in view of the effective means-tested subsidies. Additional resources should be considered for this at-risk population. Based on this pilot study, our methodology to quantify FT and OOP expenditure can be scaled up to other cancer primaries.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsCancer SurvivorsCost of IllnessFinancial StressHealth ExpendituresNasopharyngeal NeoplasmsQuality of LifeAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesEmploymentFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsBreast cancercancer survivorsfinancial toxicitynasopharyngeal cancerquality of life

Identifiers

PMID42658157
PMCPMC13581314

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