Out of Pocket Expenditure among Cancer Patients Availing Treatment at A Tertiary Care Centre in Hyderabad, India

Background: The expenses that the patient or the family pays directly to the health care provider, without a third-party (insurer or State) is known as 'Out of Pocket Expenditure' (OOPE). These expenses could be medical and non-medical. About 150 million people face financial catastrophe every year due to health care payments and cancer is one of the leading causes of high OOPE. Objectives: This study was conducted to estimate the OOPE among cancer patients and to determine the OOPE in relation to type of cancer and treatment modality. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care centre in Hyderabad during August and September,2022 with a total study population of 400 cancer patients. After consenting the participants, data was collected via face-to-face interview using a semi structured questionnaire. Results: The mean OOPE per patient was found to be $1032.65 (₹84,643.20). This includes the medical and non-medical costs. Leukaemia was found to have the highest OOPE amongst all cancers followed by colon cancer. Similarly, radiotherapy + surgery was found to have the highest OOPE followed by chemotherapy + radiotherapy + surgery. Conclusion And Interpretation- This study is unique in its way that no other study has considered OOPE for different cancers in single research. We would like to highlight the quantification of OOPE among various types of cancers and its variation based on treatment modality used. It is necessary that future government initiatives consider the importance of mitigating the OOPE along with provision of cancer care.