A cancer diagnosis can be a traumatic experience causing major disruptions to work and family life (1). Worry about securing enough food for oneself and family should not be at the forefront of a patient’s mind. Yet, food insecurity is common among patients with cancer estimates of 17%-55% (2). In the context of cancer, food insecurity is an important, yet underrecognized, health-related social risk factor.
Cancer care and treatment threatens the financial infrastructure of many families, with both direct (eg, medical fees) and indirect (eg, travel) costs potentially burdening patients (9). Expensive treatment, unpaid or paid caregiving requirements, and the loss of employment and/or insurance benefits can strain finances and pull resources away from household food budgets.
Among people living with food insecurity, a cancer diagnosis can further strain finances and exacerbate budget shortfalls, tipping families into a potentially permanent state of financial duress (10). Even for those who are covered by insurance, navigating benefits programs can be a confusing and drawn out process, causing periods of acute financial strain (11). Beyond the direct
impact on patients, a cancer diagnosis can have a rippling effect through the family as caregivers sacrifice time and resources to support their loved ones.
Join us in our efforts to make a difference within our local cancer-care communities. Whether you volunteer your time, donate funds, or spread awareness about our cause, every little bit helps. Together, we can create lasting change and improve the lives of those in need.
Gathering blessings of the harvest, Angel & Angela® is a series of all-natural fruit purees created with a sincere heart for sharing locally-grown abundances with love. Our purees tenderly capture all of nature’s goodness at its peak, sealing in simple-ingredient, drinkable fruit you can enjoy wherever life takes you!
Through its founding concept of Natures Ingredients on a Mission®, proceeds from Angel & Angela® brand sales, help support families experiencing the financial challenges of cancer through Angel's Fund here at Good Fruit.
1. Zafar SY. Financial toxicity of cancer care: it’s time to intervene. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2016;108(5):djv370. doi:10.1093/jnci/djv370.
2. Patel KG, Borno HT, Seligman HK. Food insecurity screening: a missing piece in cancer management. Cancer. 2019;125(20):3494-3501. doi:10.1002/cncr.32291.
3. Bickel G, Nord M, Price C, Hamilton W, Cook J. Guide to Measuring Household Food Security, Revised 2000. US Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service; 2000. https://nhis.ipums.org/nhis/resources/FSGuide.pdf. Accessed June 8, 2022.
4. Coleman-Jensen A, Rabbitt MP, Gregory CA, Singh A. Household Food Security in the United States in 2020, ERR-298. US Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service; 2021.
5. Gany F, Lee T, Ramirez J, et al. Do our patients have enough to eat?: food insecurity among urban low-income cancer patients. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2014;25(3):1153-1168. doi:10.1353/hpu.2014.0145.
6. Gany F, Leng J, Ramirez J, et al. Health-related quality of life of food-insecure ethnic minority patients with cancer. J Oncol Pract. 2015;11(5):396-402. doi:10.1200/jop.2015.003962.
7. Berger MH, Lin HW, Bhattacharyya N. A national evaluation of food insecurity in a head and neck cancer population. Laryngoscope. 2021;131(5):e1539-e1542. doi:10.1002/lary.29188.
8. Zheng Z, Jemal A, Tucker-Seeley R, et al. Worry about daily financial needs and food insecurity among cancer survivors in the United States. J Natl Compr Cancer Netw. 2020;18(3):315-327. doi:10.6004/jnccn.2019.7359.
9. Abrams HR, Durbin S, Huang CX, et al. Financial toxicity in cancer care: origins, impact, and solutions. Transl Behav Med. 2021;11(11):2043-2054. doi:10.1093/tbm/ibab091.
10. Carrera PM, Kantarjian HM, Blinder VS. The financial burden and distress of
patients with cancer: understanding and stepping-up action on the financial toxicity of cancer treatment. CA Cancer J Clin. 2018;68(2):153-165. doi:10.3322/caac.21443.
11. Zafar SY, Peppercorn JM, Schrag D, et al. The financial toxicity of cancer treatment: a pilot study assessing out-of-pocket expenses and the insured cancer patient’s experience. Oncologist. 2013;18(4):381-390. doi:10.1634/theoncologist. 2012-0279.
Join us in our efforts to make a difference within our local cancer-care communities. Whether you volunteer your time, donate funds, or spread awareness about our cause, every little bit helps. Together, we can create lasting change and improve the lives of those in need.
“I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:9-10
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