Here Are Some Surprising, Non-Treatment-Related Costs People Have Incurred During Their Cancer Journey

Each week on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, CURE® asks its readers to share their thoughts with a #CureConnect discussion question.

This past week, we asked: “What are some of the non-treatment-related expenses associated with cancer treatment that surprised you?”

Here’s what some of our readers shared:

• “I had my savings wiped out because I had a bone marrow biopsy every six months for several years. The insurance would not pay 20% and each one cost me $3,000 out of pocket; $6,000 a year was a lot of money for me. Once I got Medicare, everything was paid for — what a relief! I never recouped the monetary losses but am so thankful to be alive!” – J.B.
• “Dealing with the effects of chemo for the rest of my life. Very expensive. I am grateful for the rest of my life though.” – L.P.
• “Paying out of pocket for dental reconstruction (“non-medical”) which was around $25,000; thousands in parking costs through treatment; and loss of career advancement due to interruption during treatment.” – J.A.
• “I had three young kids. We had family and friends help us pay to get them into camps for the summer while I went through treatment. I also paid others to do things our family could normally do like mowing (the lawn) and cleaning. We had lodging costs and food costs just due to traveling to a city an hour and a half away for treatment. We (also) had friends get us Uber Eats gift cards to help us with that so I could eat right before treatment started.” – D.R.
• “Taxis for coming back home because of tiredness.” – E.P.
• “Parking, travel costs, bridge tolls, lost work, expensive wigs, creams and stronger sunscreen for my chemo-changed skin. But the biggest cost was loss of time with my kids and the loss of friends.” – J.B.
• “Lost my sexual function due to tamoxifen, which has wrecked me going on three years with two more to go, but so far my cancer prognosis is great. Hopefully (my sexual function) will come back.” – E.S.
• “Clothes that won’t touch my healing scar, acupuncture, therapy, shoes that help with my neuropathy and plantar fasciitis from chemo (they’re not cheap). Also, the cost of health care because I ran out of sick days at my teaching job, so I have to pay for health care while not getting a paycheck.” – M.H.

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