A PORTHMADOG woman diagnosed with rectal cancer feared she would lose her house following her diagnosis last year.

Cath Harding, 58, was diagnosed with the disease in January 2015 and found it had a drastic effect on her financial situation.

“I was totally floored when I received the diagnosis. I went numb,” Cath recalled.

“It was the last thing I expected them to say.

“I was told that I could be off work for up to 12-months. And then it hit me. Wow, how am I going to pay my bills?”

New research, conducted by Macmillan, has shown the average family in Wales would not be able to afford cancer, and could be forced to find hundreds of pounds a month.

The cancer charity calculates that the average family in Wales is left with around £490 each month after paying for necessities such as bills, food and everyday travel, but previous research by the charity shows that cancer has an average monthly cost of £760 for the vast majority (86 per cent) of Welsh cancer patients.

Therefore, the charity warns that an adult being diagnosed with cancer could leave the average Welsh family with a potential shortfall of around £270 a month even after cutting back to only the bare essentials.

Worse than that, cancer can actually lead to an increase in costs.

“When I became ill all my expenses increased,” Cath continued.

“I had to buy gluten-free bread, which was over £2 a loaf instead of 35p and my heating bills went up because I felt cold all the time.

“I called Macmillan’s financial experts who were very helpful.

“It was like a weight had been lifted.

“If it wasn’t for Macmillan, the chances are I would have had to sell my house.”

Macmillan, which offers grants, benefits advice and financial guidance for people affected by cancer, is urging people to seek financial help as soon as possible to stop money worries spiralling out of control.

It warns that otherwise the average family could be forced to turn to their savings, credit cards, take out a loan or even sell their home to cover the potential shortfall.

Macmillan says that there is help available, but people need to know that they can get support and ask for it before financial problems mount up.

Susan Morris, Macmillan Wales head of services, said: “In Wales, 19,000 people are diagnosed with cancer every year and almost half the population is predicted to be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives by 2020.

“In the recent Assembly elections, Macmillan Wales called for a new cancer plan for government where all people with cancer are offered access to timely financial advice before any financial problems escalate.

“At a time when thousands of families are struggling to make ends meet, a cancer diagnosis can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, sending them into financial freefall.

“When you’re diagnosed with cancer, the last thing you need to be worrying about is how to pay the bills and keep a roof over your head. But you don’t have to do this alone, there is help out there.”

For more information, please visit www.macmillan.org.uk/moneyworries or call free on 0808 808 00 00.