Financial Toxicity Among Family Caregivers of Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Patients With Cancer: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis.
This qualitative meta-synthesis of 24 studies reports that caregivers of pediatric and adolescent/young adult patients with cancer experience multisource economic burdens, financial distress, inadequate support, and persistent unmet needs despite using diverse coping strategies.
Open original publication →What the AI sees
This qualitative meta-synthesis of 24 studies reports that caregivers of pediatric and adolescent/young adult patients with cancer experience multisource economic burdens, financial distress, inadequate support, and persistent unmet needs despite using diverse coping strategies.
Research significance
The evidence identifies caregiver financial toxicity and support gaps; it is reasonable—but not tested here—to hypothesize that insurance navigation, paid-leave support, culturally competent services, or nurse-navigation interventions could reduce caregiver distress and potentially improve continuity of cancer care.
Source abstract
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: Family caregivers of pediatric (aged 0-14 years) and adolescent and young adult (aged 15-39 years) patients with cancer face multifaceted financial toxicity involving multisource economic burdens, psychological distress, and unmet support needs, requiring evidence-based nursing and policy interventions. LITERATURE SEARCH: Systematic searches were performed across Wanfang Data, Web of Science, SINOMED, PubMed®, CNKI, EBSCO, VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodicals Full-Text Database, and Cohrane Library from inception to April 15, 2025, to identify relevant qualitative studies. DATA EVALUATION: According to ENTREQ (Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research) guidelines, two investigators independently screened studies, extracted data, and synthesized findings via JBI meta-aggregation. The ConQual (Confidence in the Output of Qualitative Research Synthesis) approach was used to rate conclusions. SYNTHESIS: The 24 included studies yielded 103 findings (98 unequivocal themes and 5 credible themes), which were aggregated into eight main themes. The two core findings were as follows: (a) Financial toxicity among family caregivers is multifaceted, involving substantial multisource economic burdens and severe perceived financial distress, and (b) despite adopting diverse coping strategies, caregivers consistently reported unmet needs and persistent expectations for additional support. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH: Future research can focus on mechanisms specific to the United States, nurse navigator interventions, and subgroup differences. Clinical and policy interventions should integrate insurance navigation, paid leave, and culturally competent support.