Nurse loses $50,000 income during cancer treatment, cancer council warns of
Cancer patient Mitch Tisdell lost $50,000 in income and paid $10,000 out-of-pocket during treatment; Leukaemia Foundation says patients average $3,910 yearly costs.
Mitch Tisdell, an intensive care nurse at John Hunter Hospital, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in 2020 at age 31. Mitch lost about $50,000 in income during treatment and faced about $10,000 in specialist and allied health bills.
Mitch faced IVF costs of about $20,000 per year, possibly needed because of chemotherapy's effects. Now in remission, Tisdell shared his story for the Leukaemia Foundation's 'Cut the Cost of Cancer' campaign during Blood Cancer Month.
The foundation found that Australians with blood cancer face average annual out-of-pocket costs of $3,910. Some families spend more than $20,000 yearly on travel and accommodation during treatment.
One in eight blood cancer patients are missing, delaying or cancelling treatment because they cannot afford it. The foundation calls for better travel and accommodation subsidies for regional patients, caps on hospital parking and more clinical services closer to home.
- $50,000
- Income lost during treatment
- $10,000
- Out-of-pocket medical expenses
- $20,000
- Potential annual IVF costs
- $3,910
- Average annual out-of-pocket costs
Why it mattersCancer treatment can drain savings and force people to choose between medical care and paying bills, pushing many into crisis.
AustraliaAustralian cancer patients and families facing serious financial hardship; campaign pressures state and federal governments to expand support.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 11 d ago
