The study has been published today in The Lancet Oncology. 

Currently, in many European countries, including Ireland and the UK, cancer survivors must declare their previous cancer diagnosis to financial institutions, to successfully access financial products, despite being cured of their cancer. 

This study shows the extent of how many people continue to face financial discrimination years after their cancer has been treated and they have been declared “cancer free”. 

The research shows that on average, up to 25% of those living beyond their cancer in Europe are unable to access appropriate financial services including life assurance, mortgages and travel insurance. 

The research was led by Professor Mark Lawler, Professor of Digital Health at Queen’s University Belfast. He explains: “Our evidence of financial toxicity for cancer survivors is undeniable. Our data suggests that at a conservative estimate over a half a million cancer survivors in the UK may be experiencing some form of financial discrimination. And it may be even more. It is disgraceful that significant numbers of cancer survivors continue to be discriminated against financially.  

“While the current cost of living crisis is hard for everyone, it is so much worse for cancer survivors. We need to bring in legislation to protect our patients who are living beyond their cancer as a matter of urgency.” 

A European-wide effort led by the European Initiative to End Discrimination against Cancer Survivors, including Professor Lawler, is currently fighting this discrimination, by supporting the introduction of legislation that will permit successfully treated cancer patients to not declare a previously diagnosed cancer, so that their diagnosis is essentially “forgotten”.  

In January 2016, France became the first country in the world to introduce the “Right To Be Forgotten”, which specifies that long-term cancer survivors do not have to share medical information with a financial institution about their cancer diagnosis after a delay of five years without recurrence. Seven other European countries have taken similar legal measures to counter financial discrimination against cancer survivors.  

Currently, a self-regulatory code of conduct has been introduced by the financial/insurance industries in a number of other European countries, including Ireland, but is not legally binding.  

Richard Spratt, Chief Executive of Cancer Focus Northern Ireland, commented: “A cancer diagnosis is one of the most devastating moments anyone can experience, and the cancer journey can be relentless, with extreme physical and mental consequences for months to years on-end. I applaud the work of Professor Lawler and his team. Cancer patients should not be punished for one of the worst things that has ever happened to them, especially when the majority of cancer diagnoses are beyond anyone’s control.

"It is cruel to think that a cancer survivor’s diagnosis will stay with them, not only in terms of any mental or physical trauma from the diagnosis and treatment, but also because of financial institutions’ ability to hold someone’s cancer history over their head."

“Implementing the ‘Right To Be Forgotten’ into legislation as this article recommends offers a solution to this unjust and unsympathetic practice: it would prohibit financial institutions from asking about or factoring in applicants’ medical history from five years after an applicant had been declared ‘cancer-free.’”

Dr Françoise Meunier, Founder of the European Initiative to End Discrimination against Cancer Survivors and a co-author on the study, said: “It is unacceptable that cancer patients must endure this financial discrimination. Those who are living beyond their disease should not be penalised for a previous cancer diagnosis. Cancer patients across Europe who have been successfully treated should, by law, be able to avoid disclosing a previous diagnosis of cancer, so that they can access the financial services that they need.” 

Professor Lawler added: “This is not about compassion; this is about evidence and acting on that evidence. When a cancer professional says that you are cured and international benchmarking agrees, then why do the financial institutions say that you are not? Don’t make cancer patients pay twice. Ensure the Right To Be Forgotten is enshrined in law throughout Europe.”