University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Ying Wang , Pierre Camateros , Winson Y. Cheung
Background: As patients transition from cancer treatment to survivorship, issues surrounding the social and mental health impacts of survivorship gain increased importance. In this study, we examined young cancer survivors’ expectations of their physicians with respect to mental health, interpersonal relationships, and reintegration back to work and school. We also explored factors associated with these expectations. Methods: We surveyed patients aged 20 to 39 years who were diagnosed with solid tumors, evaluated at any 1 of 5 regional cancer centers in British Columbia, and alive at 2 or more years after their diagnosis. We explored the relationship between patient factors and expectations, adjusting for confounders through the use of multivariate regression models. Results: With a survey response rate of 57%, a total of 447 patients were analyzed: median age was 35 years (IQR 31-38), 30% were men, and 89% had ECOG 0. Tumor sites included breast (222; 50%), testicular (126; 28%), gynecological (76; 17%), and colorectal (23; 5%). Decreasing levels of expectations of cancer specialist (CS) were seen with 72%, 48%, and 28% of patients indicating that their CS should have some to full responsibility on issues related to mental health, social counselling, and reintegration, respectively. Compared to CS, patients held much higher expectations of their primary care physician (PCP) taking some to full responsibility for these same issues (see Table). Expectations of their PCP were further increased when there was frequent contact between patient and PCP. Conclusions: The majority of young cancer survivors in our survey expected their PCP more than their CS to have a significant degree of responsibility for mental, interpersonal, and social issues arising from their cancer or treatment. Early integration of PCP into survivorship care models may augment the work provided by the psychosocial cancer team and ease the transition to survivorship for patients.
Expectation for some to full responsibility | CS | PCP | Increased patient expectations of PCP with more clinic visits |
---|---|---|---|
Mental health issues | 72% | 87% | P=0.02 |
Interpersonal relationships | 48% | 73% | P=0.03 |
Reintegration | 28% | 53% | P=0.007 |
Disclaimer
This material on this page is ©2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology, all rights reserved. Licensing available upon request. For more information, please contact licensing@asco.org
Abstract Disclosures
2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
First Author: Aryana Sepassi
2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
First Author: Katherine Ramsey Gilmore
2022 ASCO Quality Care Symposium
First Author: Sarah A Birken
2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
First Author: Shelley Fuld Nasso