We would all hope that a person's bank account has no bearing on whether they survive cancer. But that's simply not the case. 

The amount of money you have significantly affects your chances of surviving a cancer diagnosis. It also directly correlates with your likelihood of a recurrence and your overall quality of life after cancer. 

Researchers across the country have repeatedly shown this direct correlation as part of the broader study of financial toxicity. You can find a nice roundup of the research and financial toxicity as a whole here. This was put together by our friends at Triage Cancer, one of the most amazing resources I've found for legal or practical advice after cancer.

Now that we know there is a correlation, it is up to all of us to narrow the gap in knowledge, resources, and outcomes. To that end, I joined Adrian Franco and the Broken Not Broke podcast recently to discuss financial toxicity and financial resources. Here are the four big takeaways from our chat: 

Nearly all survivors face three main financial issues: 

For the first two issues, you need a plan. My book and this website will soon have some workbooks that can help. Many already exist at DollarFor and other places.

Still, don't overlook the third one. Give yourself permission to be optimistic. Think about buying a home, retirement, and family planning. Thinking positively about money and life goals can aid recovery if you establish some guideposts with your family or partner. 

In the podcast, we got into how I did this with my wife when we purchased our first home about a year after my treatments ended. Because of cancer, we bought a tiny apartment and not a home, but we still made a purchase.

Cancer has brought about a material change in every realm of my life. And it's the same for the more than one hundred survivors I've spoken with over the past year. 

Purpose. Career. Family planning. Physical health. Mental health. The list is extensive. 

But regardless of the category, it always comes back down to money. Several survivors I know wanted to quit their jobs after treatment but simply couldn't for financial reasons. Family planning is almost always a question about insurance and affordability of treatments. 

We'd all love a personal trainer and a top-notch therapist. But more often than not, money interferes. 

Because of that, survivors must prioritize their own financial dilemmas first and should have absolutely no qualms about asking for help. This help can come in the form of charity care from a hospital, bill forgiveness, endowments, or other means. It can also come from simply asking a financial services company —perhaps the one managing your 401k — if they have someone who can help. You'd be surprised how willing they are to help. 

Successful survivors share a common thread in their lives. Honesty with themselves. 

If things aren't working, they address the issue purposefully and make changes. They never let problems fester for months, growing and then spreading into other parts of their lives.  

The best ones do this almost religiously. They schedule a calendar notice for every three months. At that moment, they sit down and write out what's working and what isn't. They take this check in more seriously than you took the SATs when you were trying to get into college. If things are working, they smile and celebrate. If they aren't, they develop a plan to fix the single biggest problem. It can be overwhelming and almost impossible to fix more than one thing at a time. 

It's something I've done for a while, really increasing the frequency over the last four years. It has made a world of difference. 

The research industry is dramatically changing, focusing less on public awareness and more on giving you tools to be your own best advocate. 

It's also not the only source for advocacy tools. Hospitals are spending millions to improve the tools available to patients and survivors. At the forefront of that effort is removing rich donors from patient advisory councils and replacing them with actual survivors from diverse backgrounds. Epic, the owner of MyChart, is also adding tools. New non-profits are sprouting up daily, looking to help specific groups. Cancer survivors now represent a massive population, and the world is changing to serve us. 

What does that mean for you? If you need something — financial guidance, legal aid, career advice, a ride to physical therapy — it might exist.