# Income after cancer across gender and age among Canadian adolescents and young adults

## TL;DR

Cancer in Canadian teens and young adults affects income differently for men and women, with younger men facing the biggest financial impact.

## Contribution

This study reveals gender and age-specific income disparities among cancer survivors in Canada using national data.

## Key findings

- Men had larger income reductions than women after cancer diagnosis.
- Adolescent men experienced the largest income drop of 23.7%.
- Men faced longer periods of income reduction compared to women.

## Abstract

Cancer in adolescents and young adults emerges during critical transitional phases, resulting in lasting effects on financial well-being. It remains uncertain whether cancer in adolescents and young adults exhibits differences in financial impact on income based on gender and diagnosis age over time.

We linked Canada’s national cancer registry to personal tax records to identify adolescents and young adults (aged 15-39 years) diagnosed between 1994 and 2013. In the year before diagnosis, survivors were variable-ratio matched to 10 cancer-free individuals on several sociodemographic characteristics. Participants were followed longitudinally up to 10-years postdiagnosis or until 2015. Relative and absolute income changes were estimated using doubly robust difference-in-differences. We categorized age into 3 groups: adolescents (aged 15-17 years), emerging young adults (aged 18-29 years), and young adults (aged 30-39 years), reflecting the different adolescent and young adult life stages. Analyses were stratified by gender and diagnosis age.

There were 60 240 women and 33 085 men survivors matched to 490 645 and 274 595 cancer-free participants, respectively. Overall, men and women had 6.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 5.1% to 8.6%) and 4.5% (95% CI = 3.1% to 5.8%) income reductions, respectively. Adolescent men had the largest reduction of 23.7% (95% CI = 1.9% to 40.6%), while a lack of statistical significance was observed in women of the same age. Income was reduced for varying magnitudes and durations across the different intersections of gender and diagnosis age, with men experiencing longer periods of income reductions.

Cancer impacts income generation differently for adolescent and young adult men and women and at various diagnosis ages over time. Men, particularly younger men, are most vulnerable to income reductions.