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<\/p>\nWhen Sydney woman Emma Timmony was diagnosed with a terminal cancer, she knew the road ahead would be tough.<\/p>\n
But when she started to add up the costs of her treatment, the situation was even more daunting.<\/p>\n
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Emma Timmony and her husband Sean.\u00a0Supplied<\/p>\n
The former operations manager was diagnosed with stage four diffuse large-B cell lymphoma in 2023.<\/p>\n
She underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy, which put her in remission for about five months, until the cancer returned.<\/p>\n
The 43-year-old was forced to retire early due to the diagnosis and her husband Sean stepped away from his job to care for her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019re used to having money in your account and being able to function,\u00a0 then you have no money, life gets harder,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you eat? How do you pay your bills?\u201d<\/p>\n
Timmony is now in the process of applying for a terminal illness pension.<\/p>\n
\u201cI worked hard, had a good career and expected my superannuation to support me in retirement, not to be living off it in my early 40s because I have cancer,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t been able to access pensions or government benefits because we live on more than five acres of land.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never imagine that when you\u2019re this sick, you\u2019ll also have to worry about how you\u2019re going to pay the bills and keep yourself financially afloat.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m lucky that we have the medical system that exists, but not everything is free for cancer patients.\u201d<\/p>\n
Timmony is one of nearly 1.7 million Australians currently living with or beyond cancer in Australia.<\/p>\n
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Emma underwent chemotherapy, which put her in remission for about five months.\u00a0Supplied<\/p>\n
According to the Daffodil Centre, that number is set to rise by more than half to more than 2.6 million people by 2050.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of those, 1.15 million will still be living with cancer requiring ongoing treatment, monitoring or care.<\/p>\n
As the number of Australians living with cancer grows, experts are pushing for adequate systems to support people with cancer.<\/p>\n
Naveena Nekkalapudi has also faced the health and financial challenges of cancer.<\/p>\n
The Melbourne woman was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2014 at the age of 39.<\/p>\n
After her diagnosis, she found herself navigating uncertainty and unexpected expenses.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was initially quoted $600 out of pocket for surgery, which was the first step in the process,\u201d Nekkalapudi said. <\/p>\n
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Naveena Nekkalapudi faced multiple expenses during her breast cancer treatment.\u00a0Supplied<\/p>\n
\u201cTo get another quote would probably have cost me another $500.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe costs kept mounting, and around a year after my initial diagnosis, I had spent approximately $15,000 out-of-pocket.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the now 51-year-old\u2019s treatment ended, her expenses continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were many less obvious expenses that surprised me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThings like scans, medications, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and counselling costs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Peak bodies push for more support<\/p>\n
The Cancer Council and the Leukaemia Foundation are calling on governments around Australia to do more to support patients and their carers.<\/p>\n