Health status, use of healthcare, and socio-economic implications of cancer survivorship in Portugal: results from the Fourth National Health Survey

Abstract

Purpose Understanding the morbidity and socio-economic implications of cancer survivorship is essential for a compre-hensive management of oncological diseases. We compared cancer survivors (CS) with the general population regarding health status, use of healthcare resources and socio-economic condition. Methods We analyzed data from a representative sample of the Portuguese population aged ≥15 years (n=35,229). We defined three groups of CS, according to the time since diagnosis and the latest cancer treatment: CS 1 diagnosis within 12 months of interview; CS 2 diagnosis more than 12 months before and treatment in the previous 12 months; CS 3 diagnosis and treatment more than 12 months before. These were compared with the general population, adjusting for differences in sex, age, and place of residence. Results The prevalence of CS was 2.2 % (CS 1: 0.2 %; CS 2: 0.9 %, CS 3: 1.1 %). Self-perceived health status was worse among CS and short-time incapacity more frequent among CS 1 and CS 2. Health expenses were higher in the early stages of survivorship. Lower household income and financial difficul-ties were more frequent in CS 1 and CS 3 men, respectively. Conclusion This study confirmed the higher consumption of healthcare resources and worse financial situation among CS. Implications for Cancer Survivors Our study provides valu-able information for understanding the global impact of cancer survivorship