EP635 - Pioneering a Financial Navigation Program for Cancer Care in Nigeria: Preliminary findings at 3 and 6 months

Sunday, May 10, 2026

4:22 PM - 4:27 PM ET

ePoster Presenter(s)

FU

Frankie Uwechue, MD, MBA

Resident
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.

Author(s)

GG

George Gutierrez, BS

Researcher
Havey Institute of Global Health, Northwestern University
chicago, Illinois, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.
SO

Sophia Okeke, n/a

Medical Student
College of Medicine, University of Ibadan
Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria

Disclosure information not submitted.
AS

Amir Sohail, MBBS

Fellow
University of New Mexico
albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.
AA

Adewunmi Akingbola, MBBS

Researcher
University of Cambridge
cambridge, England, United Kingdom

Disclosure information not submitted.
KD

Kristina Diaz, RN, MSN

Researcher
Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
chicago, Illinois, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.

Senior Author(s)

JL

Juliet Lumati, MD, FACS

PI
Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
chicago, Illinois, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.

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Purpose/Background: Cancer care presents significant financial challenges globally, especially in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) like Nigeria, where many patients face catastrophic health expenditures, leading to treatment discontinuation and adverse outcomes. While effective in high-income countries, evidence on Financial Navigation Programs (FNPs) in LMICs is limited. This study evaluates their preliminary impact in Nigerian cancer patients.

Methods/Interventions: This single-blinded randomized-controlled trial enrolled adults newly diagnosed with colorectal, breast, or prostate cancer at two Nigerian sites. Participants were randomized 1:1 to an FNP or control arm. Demographic, treatment, and financial data were collected. Catastrophic health expenditure (FC) and Financial distress (FD) were measured using the COST-FACIT tool. Preliminary 3- and 6-month data were analyzed using independent t-tests.

Results/Outcomes: Among 122 patients (median age: 56), 65% were female and 82% married. Breast cancer was most prevalent (64%), followed by prostate (21%) and colorectal 15%). Unemployment affected 22%, and 70% reported treatment or diagnostic delays due to financial barriers. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy accounted for 45.8% of treatment costs, with 70.6% paid out-of-pocket. At three months, catastrophic costs affected 87.9% in the control arm versus 80% with FNP. Financial distress scores improved by +1.56 (3 months) and +2.5 (6 months, n=26) in the FNP arm, though differences were not statistically significant.

Conclusion/Discussion: Nigerian cancer patients are at high risk for FC, often delaying diagnosis and treatment. While short-term results were not statistically significant, improvements in FD and spending in the FNP arm suggest potential benefit. Ongoing 6- and 12-month follow-ups will be critical to assess long-term impact.