Financial Toxicity and Satisfaction With Cancer Treatment Among Patients With Multiple Myeloma: An Analysis of the MMRF's CureCloud Initiative

Background: This study explored financial toxicity and its association with treatment satisfaction among a longitudinal cohort of patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Patients and Methods: The multiple myeloma research foundation (MMRF) CureCloud initiative (NCT03657251) is an observational study which collects biospecimens, clinical data, and patient reported outcomes (PROs). Participants completed the Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (COST) and the Cancer Therapy Satisfaction Questionnaire (CTSQ). Results: At the initial time point, 214 participants completed the PROs. The mean age was 68, 60% were male, and 94% were white. The median time from MM diagnosis to the baseline survey completion was 6 years. The mean COST score was 29 (SD=10) and 37% of the patients were considered to be experiencing financial toxicity. Younger patients (P < .01) and those residing in areas with lower median household incomes (P = .01) were more likely to be experiencing financial toxicity. Participants experiencing financial toxicity reported lower satisfaction with their therapy, with a mean CTSQ score 6.7 points lower than those without (P < .01). A subset of patients (n = 75) completed a second COST survey approximately 1 year later. Financial toxicity status was relatively stable; 67% (18/27) of patients experiencing it at baseline were still at the later time point and only 10% (5/48) of patients previously not experiencing financial toxicity were at the later time point. Conclusion: Over one-third of patients with MM were considered to be experiencing financial toxicity and financial toxicity was associated with reduced satisfaction with MM treatment.