Is information on social rights accessible to cancer patients?

Abstract

Brazilian legislation provides for rights for cancer patients in order to assist with their treatment and mitigate the expenses they face during their illness. This study aimed to calculate the proportion of individuals undergoing cancer treatment at a Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS) referral center who reported being aware of 15 specific legal rights, according to the population subgroup eligible to request each right. All adult cancer patients starting treatment at the Juiz de Fora Women's Association for Preventing and Fighting Cancer Hospital (ASCOMCER), Minas Gerais State, from March to July 2022, were interviewed (n = 62). About 60% of these patients had incomplete primary education or were illiterate, around 75% lived in households with a per capita income below one minimum wage, and 91.9% received treatment from the SUS. For nine of the 15 selected rights, the proportion of eligible patients was higher than 10%, ranging from 17.7% for "Withdrawal from the Severance Pay Fund (FGTS)" to 100% for "priority in the processing of procedures". However, the only one of these rights known to at least 50% of eligible patients was "sickness benefit" (70.6%). The respective proportions were below 5% in three rights, including "exemption from property tax", "exemption from income tax on retirement, pension, and retirement", and "priority in the processing of cases". Cancer patients need to have their comprehensive care strengthened. Therefore, it is crucial to enhance the availability of information regarding the benefits cancer patients may receive from a democratic state that respects the rule of law.