At Red Door Community, where our mission is to ensure that no one faces cancer alone, we know all too well the devastating toll a cancer diagnosis takes—not only on the body and mind, but on a patient’s financial stability. This article from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center sheds important light on a reality we witness daily: the crushing financial toxicity that too often accompanies cancer treatment.
Dr. Blinder’s findings are sobering but not surprising. When people are forced to choose between buying groceries, paying rent, or continuing life-saving treatment, the consequences are not just emotional—they’re life-threatening. Missing appointments or altering dosages due to cost isn’t a matter of “non-compliance”—it’s a matter of survival.
At Red Door Community, we see the human stories behind these statistics: parents missing work to undergo treatment, young adults putting their dreams on hold, and families making unimaginable choices just to afford care. Financial toxicity isn’t just a side effect of cancer—it’s a public health crisis and a driver of healthcare disparities.
What’s especially concerning is the paradox highlighted in the article: as cancer treatments become more advanced and help people live longer, they often also require longer and costlier care. For many, survivorship comes with continued treatment, job insecurity, and long-term financial burden. This isn’t a sustainable model—nor is it acceptable!
That’s why communities like ours must be part of the solution. At Red Door, we provide free cancer support for cancer patients and their families, including support groups, educational workshops and webinars throughout the cancer continuum to empower. However, this must be complemented by systemic change: policy reform, insurance improvements, employer support, and pharmaceutical assistance programs that truly meet patients’ needs.
We applaud healthcare providers like MSK who advocate for their patients and work directly with manufacturers, but no family should have to rely on extraordinary effort or exceptional luck to access affordable care. Equity in cancer treatment starts with recognizing that financial health is health.
Let’s work together—health systems, nonprofits, employers, and policymakers—to create a new framework for supporting people with cancer. A world where survival doesn’t depend on your bank account, and where everyone, regardless of income, can access the full spectrum of care and dignity they deserve.
With hope and commitment,
Migdalia Torres, LCSW-R
Executive Director, Program
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