Financial toxicity and its associated patient and cancer factors among women with breast cancer: a single-center analysis of low-middle income region in China

Purpose To assess the financial toxicity (FT) and to investigate patients and cancer characteristic that associated with it in patients admitted in a tertiary hospital in central China. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of 166 patients from 188 with stage 0-III women breast cancer admitted in Bethune hospital in Taiyuan, Shanxi province during January–May 2019. FT was self-reported using of financial Toxicity Comprehensive Rating Scale (COST-FACIT). Patients’ sociodemographic factors, clinical examination, and cancer treatment were collected from questionnaire and hospital record. The financial concern and coping strategy was self-reported. Factors associated with FT were identified using linear regression analysis. Results Of the 166 completed the survey, the COST score ranged 0–40 with a mean of 21.2 (median 22.5, standard deviation 8.1). On multivariate linear regression analysis, older age ( β coefficient: 0.20, 95% CI 0.11–0.29, p