{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"","title":"The Hidden Cost of Cancer: Understanding Financial Toxicity","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/6363edc7fd5685001278a5bb/1785923973715-c6598446-38f3-448c-a8e6-701cb23d16c5.jpeg?height=200","description":"

In this episode of the Young Tongues Podcast, Barbara sits down with Ashleigh Sharman, a mixed methods researcher at the University of Sydney and Fellow in Survivorship and Financial Toxicity with the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia, to explore one of the most overlooked consequences of cancer: financial toxicity.


While treatment side effects are often discussed, the financial impact of cancer rarely receives the same attention. Together, Barbara and Ashleigh unpack what financial toxicity really means, from the immediate costs of treatment to the hidden, long-term effects on employment, careers, pensions, relationships and mental health.


Drawing on her research in head and neck cancer survivorship, Ashleigh explains why people affected by head and neck cancers can face unique financial challenges, including the ongoing costs of dental care, speech therapy, rehabilitation, travel, and returning to work after life-changing treatment. The conversation also explores how financial stress influences recovery, why many people delay asking for help, and how current healthcare and welfare systems often fail to support survivors once treatment has ended.


Find out more about Dr Ashleigh Sharman's work:

β€’ ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ashleigh_Sharman2

β€’ ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9342-5061

β€’ Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=VfdRWAgAAAAJ&hl=en


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","author_name":"Barbara Fountain"}