Unmet needs of 1210 Chinese breast cancer survivors and associated factors: a multicentre cross-sectional study

BMC Cancer

Peter H. F. Ng¹  Yimin Xia²  Xiangyu Liu²  Andy S. K. Cheng³  Cai Jin⁴  Xiaofan Bu⁵  Rongrong Fan⁶ 

[1] Department of Computing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China;Department of Health Service Center, Hunan Cancer Hospital/The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China;Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China;Nursing Teaching and Research Section, Hunan Cancer Hospital/The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China;Department of Nursing, Hunan Xiangya Stomatological Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China;Nursing Teaching and Research Section, Hunan Cancer Hospital/The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China;Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, China;Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, China;

关键词: Breast cancer survivors;    Unmet needs;    Quality of life;    Cross-sectional survey;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12885-022-09224-w

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundBreast cancer survivors (BCSs) often have potential unmet needs. Identification of the specific needs of BCSs is very significant for medical service provision. This study aimed to (1) investigate the unmet needs and quality of life (QoL) of BCSs in China, (2) explore the diverse factors associated with their unmet needs, and (3) assess the association between their unmet needs and QoL.MethodsA multicentre, cross-sectional survey was administered to 1210 Chinese BCSs. The Cancer Survivor Profile-Breast Cancer and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast scale were administered to survivors who gave informed consent to participate. Data were analysed using t-test, ANOVA, multiple regression analysis, and Pearson correlations.ResultsThe 1192 participants completed questionnaires (response rate 98.51%). Our study reveals that the most prevalent unmet needs were in the ‘symptom burden domain’. The unmet needs of BCSs depend on eleven factors; age, time since diagnosis, education level, occupation, payment, family income status, stage of cancer, treatment, family history of cancer, pain, and physical activities. To ensure the provision of high-quality survivorship care and a high satisfaction level, more attention should be paid to actively identifying and addressing the unmet needs of BCSs. The problem areas identified in the Cancer Survivor Profile for breast cancer were negatively associated with all subscales of QoL except the health behaviour domain, with the correlation coefficient ranging from − 0.815 to − 0.011.ConclusionChinese BCSs exhibit a high demand for unmet needs in this study, and the most prevalent unmet needs were in the ‘symptom burden domain’. There was a significant association between patients’ unmet needs (as defined in the Cancer Survivor Profile for breast cancer) and QoL. Future research should focus on enhancements to survivorship or follow-up care to address unmet needs and further improve QoL.

【 授权许可】

CC BY