Macmillan is pushing the Welsh government to ensure all those diagnosed with cancer are routinely given financial advice.
The cancer charity wants every person affected by cancer in Wales to be made aware of their rights and entitlements at point of diagnosis and at key points on their cancer journey.
Macmillan said fewer than half of people with a cancer diagnosis in Wales say they receive financial advice or support from any source. This figure falls even further among over 65s, where fewer than one in three receive support.
Only a quarter of people with cancer discuss their financial situation with a health or social care professional, reduced among the over 65s to just 11%.
Among the aims of the ‘Counting the Cost of Cancer' campaign are: to raise awareness of the financial impact of cancer amongst the public; Influencing stakeholders to recognise the importance of making financial advice routinely available for cancer patients and ensuring everyone with cancer in Wales is routinely offered financial advice.
Susan Morris, general manager for Wales at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "The sad fact is that for many people who get cancer, money is one of their biggest worries.
"A cancer diagnosis can mean taking a long time off work, and this means a big drop in income. At the same time, there are a lot of costs associated with cancer - dozens of trips to and from hospital and increased heating bills to deal with the cold chemotherapy brings.
At a time when people should be focusing all their energy on getting better, we know that sadly, many spend their time worrying about money."
