(P 30) FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES EXPERIENCED BY DUTCH GASTROINTESTINAL STROMAL TUMOR (GIST) PATIENTS: DATA FROM A CROSS-SECTIONAL MULTICENTER STUDY

Objective: Financial difficulties get little attention in daily clinical practice, while they can have a considerable impact on treatment outcomes and the patient’s quality of life. This study aims to explore the prevalence of financial difficulties among GIST patients, with a distinction in patients on tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment or not on TKI treatment, and investigate associations between financial difficulties and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, work, cancer-related concerns, symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Dutch GIST patients between September 2020 and June 2021. Patients completed nine items regarding financial difficulties of the EORTC item bank, work-related questions, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Cancer Worry Scale (CWS) and EORTC QLQ-C30.

Results: In total, 328 GIST patients participated (response rate 63.0%), of which 108 (32.9%) were on TKI treatment. Experiencing financial difficulties was associated with significantly lower global quality of life (67.8 vs 81.6, p= < 0.001) as compared to patients who did not report financial difficulties. Patients with financial difficulties also more frequently reported symptoms of anxiety (41.7% vs 11.5%, p= < 0.001) and depression (36.1% vs 10.1%, p= < 0.001), had more severe fear of cancer recurrence or progression (73.0% vs 39.9%, p= < 0.001), and were more often concerned about dying from GIST both in the near future (64.9% vs 34.9%, p= < 0.001) and in the long run (75.7% vs 49.5%, p=0.003). The odds of experiencing financial difficulties was 16.4 (95% CI 1.24-217.1; p=0.03) times higher in patients that were less able to work. Patients currently treated with TKIs experienced significantly more financial difficulties compared to patients not on TKIs (17.6% vs 8.7%, p=0.02).

Conclusion: Even in a country where the costs of TKIs and follow-up care are covered by health insurance, financial difficulties can be present in GIST patients, especially in patients on TKI treatment. Given the association between financial difficulties with quality of life, anxiety, depression and cancer-related concerns, more support should be provided to patients.