The Financial Toxicity Tumor Board: Using a System Level Approach to Combat Financial Toxicity-The Financial Toxicity Tumor Board_ Using a System Level Approach to Combat Financial Toxicity

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Video Summary

The webinar, hosted by the Association of Cancer Care Centers, focused on financial toxicity in cancer care and a system-level strategy to address it. Moderator Amy Hoke introduced Dr. Thomas Knight, a hematologic oncologist and leader in financial toxicity research, who outlined how rising drug prices and the broader costs of cancer care—transportation, lodging, childcare, lost wages, and insurance issues—can severely burden patients.<br /><br />Dr. Knight explained that financial toxicity is now recognized as a real treatment-related harm, comparable to physical toxicities. He reviewed research showing that many cancer patients experience financial hardship, which is linked to medication nonadherence, reduced quality of life, bankruptcy, and even higher mortality. He emphasized that screening alone is not enough because financial distress is often identified too late, after bills and treatment delays have already accumulated.<br /><br />The main focus was the Financial Toxicity Tumor Board (FTTB), a multidisciplinary, institution-wide model launched at Advocate Health in 2019. The board brings together clinicians, pharmacists, social workers, administrators, and other stakeholders with decision-making authority to solve urgent patient cases and identify system-wide fixes. Dr. Knight described how the model evolved from broad case submissions to a disease-based structure with standardized templates, improving attendance, case diversity, and impact. He also highlighted a patient assistance program that has saved millions in copay and drug costs.<br /><br />In closing, Dr. Knight stressed that clinic-level interventions, institutional collaboration, and policy reform are all needed, with insurance and payer policy being the biggest lever for change. Q&A and polls reinforced priorities such as early identification of at-risk patients and expansion of assistance programs.

Keywords

financial toxicity

cancer care

financial hardship

tumor board

patient assistance program

drug costs

insurance policy

medication nonadherence

quality of life

system-level strategy