Patients with primary liver cancer often face substantial psychological strain alongside significant financial hardship. Both factors are known to influence health-related quality of life, yet the interplay between financial toxicity and personal resilience has remained poorly understood. New research published in BMC Gastroenterology sheds light on how resilience may help protect quality of life in this vulnerable patient group.
Assessing Resilience, Financial Toxicity, and Quality of Life
In this cross-sectional study, researchers analysed data from 268 patients with primary liver cancer treated between July and December 2023. Validated tools were used to assess resilience (Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale), financial toxicity (COST-PROM), and quality of life (QOL-LC). Statistical analyses explored factors associated with quality of life and examined whether resilience mediated the relationship between financial burden and patient wellbeing.
The average QOL-LC score among participants was 125.41. Several clinical and sociodemographic factors were significantly associated with quality of life, including place of residence, household income, presence of metastasis, China liver cancer staging, and the number of hospitalisations in the previous year.
Resilience Linked to Better Quality of Life
Higher resilience scores and lower financial toxicity were both moderately and positively correlated with better quality of life. Patients who reported greater psychological resilience tended to experience less disruption to their wellbeing, even when facing substantial financial pressure related to cancer care.
Importantly, mediation analysis demonstrated that resilience partially explained the relationship between financial toxicity and quality of life. Resilience accounted for 31.2% of the total effect, suggesting that psychological coping capacity plays a meaningful role in buffering the negative impact of financial stress.
Implications for Supportive Cancer Care
The findings highlight resilience as a potentially modifiable psychosocial resource in patients with primary liver cancer. Interventions designed to strengthen resilience, alongside efforts to reduce financial burden, may help preserve quality of life during treatment.
While the cross-sectional design limits causal interpretation, the study underscores the need for integrated supportive care strategies that address both economic and psychological challenges. Further longitudinal research is warranted to confirm these pathways and inform targeted interventions.
Reference
Mao Z et al. The relationship between resilience, financial toxicity, and quality of life in patients with primary liver cancer: a cross-sectional study. BMC Gastroenterol. 2025;DOI: 10.1186/s12876-025-04458-x.
