Cancer Patients’ Trade-offs Among Efficacy, Toxicity, and Out-of-Pocket Cost in the Curative and Noncurative Setting

Even in these stylized scenarios, socioeconomic status predicted the treatment choice. Higher income patients may be more likely to focus on survival, whereas those of lower socioeconomic status may be more likely to avoid expensive treatment, regardless of survival or toxicity. This raises the possibility that insurance plans with greater cost-sharing may have the unintended consequence of increasing disparities in cancer care.