—
A new study by the University of Wyoming has found that aside from the physical and emotional toll a cancer diagnosis takes, it also causes a financial burden.
A person diagnosed with cancer misses five weeks of work on average, and sees a decline in income of 20 percent or more.
The lead author of the study, Anna Zajacova explains, “This is average effects across the entire population and many are retired or stay-at-home parents, so the effect is diluted, five weeks is actually a huge blow when this is an average number,”
Some may even experience longer absences from work, depending on the type and stage of cancer and treatments involved.
The study used data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, which involved 8,000 families in a nationally representative study. The families included 1,000 individuals diagnosed with cancer.
Results of the study showed that earnings were reduced by 40 percent the first two years after diagnosis, and remained at lower levels until recovering at the four-year mark.
Male cancer survivors were reported to lose more income than females.
According to Zajacova, “U.S. labor law and labor culture is among most severe compared to almost every other developed country, there are no or very limited policies for sick leave or family leave, so the effects are likely to be worse in the U.S. than other developed countries.” She continued by saying “There are few protections in place for U.S. workers who are diagnosed with cancer.”.
“We were looking at the average impact of cancer, though one could argue that advanced lung cancer would have a more devastating effect than early breast cancer”, Zajacova said.
Cancer diagnosis and treatments have a huge impact on the ability to work, and many work places do not have sufficient sick leave to compensate workers for the amount of time off needed to get well.
The majority of household bankruptcies are caused by illness. There is no way for people to prepare for a cancer diagnosis, as it can come swiftly without warning.
With nearly 14 million cancer survivors in the US alone, the financial impact of cancer affects the entire economy.
Most Effective Fucoidan is dedicated to raising public awareness through providing the latest research, health news, and support, in an ongoing effort to help empower people to make well-informed health decisions. Learn more at the website.
Release ID: 96018