Impact of a Breast Cancer Diagnosis on Finances and Marital Status in Young Women

We conducted descriptive statistical analysis of survey data from 315 women diagnosed with breast cancer before age 45. We found significant changes following diagnosis in employment and insurance. Prior to diagnosis, 68.6% of respondents were employed full time, compared to 52.4% following diagnosis. Individuals who were unable to work increased by 14.6% after diagnosis. The decline in full-time employment was highest among those with a diagnosis of Stage IV cancer (33.9%), with the number of full-time worker respondents falling from 79 to 41. We found a significant change in insurance (p < .001) with a decline in individuals with private or no insurance of 4.7% and 3.4%, respectively, while those with public insurance increased by 8.1%. Our findings suggest that young breast cancer survivors are particularly vulnerable to changes in employment, with more than a tenfold increase in the number of young women who reported being unable to work following diagnosis. Our findings also indicate a significant shift from private to public insurance, particularly for individuals living with Stage IV cancer.