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Financial toxicity. The term is used to describe an often-overlooked aspect about cancer care: how out-of-pocket costs can cause distress for patients. Employers, health plans, unions, and consultants may not be aware of or feel comfortable discussing cancer-related financial toxicity. Nonetheless, it may be a critical issue facing your organization, as improvements in screening and treatment mean more people are surviving cancer – and facing long-term financial burdens. In fact, more than half of breast cancer survivors experience debt for years as a result of their care, and some cancer survivors report spending more than 20% of their annual income on ongoing medical care.