Financial burden among metastatic breast cancer patients: a qualitative inquiry of costs, financial assistance, health insurance, and financial coping behaviors

Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients often face substantial financial burden due to prolonged and expensive therapy. However, in-depth experiences of financial burden among MBC patients are not well understood. Qualitative interviews were conducted to describe the experiences of financial burden for MBC patients, focusing on the drivers of financial burden, their experience using their health insurance, accessing financial assistance, and any resulting cost-coping behaviors. Interviews were transcribed and qualitatively analyzed using a descriptive phenomenological approach to thematic analysis. A total of n = 11 MBC patients or caregiver representatives participated in the study. MBC patients were on average 50.2 years of age (range: 28–65) and 72.7