Caregiver burden of patients with advanced cancer in Mexico.

Authors

Yanin Chavarri Guerra

Yanin Chavarri Guerra

Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, DF, Mexico

Yanin Chavarri Guerra, Wendy Alicia Ramos-Lopez, Sofía Sánchez-Román, Paulina Quiroz, Alfredo Covarrubias-Gómez, Natasha Alcocer, Andrea Morales Alfaro, María Reneé Jiménez Sotomayor, Roberto Gonzalez Salazar, Araceli Carrillo Bedoya, Ariana Michael Jimenez Cruz, Monica Carrillo, Enrique Soto Pérez de Celis

Organizations

Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, DF, Mexico, Salvador Zubirán National Institute of Health Sciences and Nutrition, Mexico City, Mexico, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran, Mexico City, DF, Mexico, Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo, Mexico, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico

Research Funding

No funding received
None.

Background: Caregivers of patients with advanced cancer often face significant physical, social, and emotional distress. In many Latin American cultures, family plays a particularly important role in the decision-making process of patients with cancer, and relatives often assume the role of unpaid caregivers. However, there is limited research about the burden associated with cancer unpaid caregiving among patients living in Latin America. We aimed to describe the profile of caregivers and to identify patient-related factors associated with caregiver burden in a third-level cancer center in Mexico City. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers included in a multidisciplinary patient navigator-led supportive care program in Mexico City (Te Acompañamos). At the time of enrollment in the program, caregivers completed a short version of the Zarit Burden scale and patients completed a series of screening questionnaires including assessments of quality of life (FACT-G), depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7). Life expectancy was calculated using the palliative performance scale (PPS). We used descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression analyses to understand which patient factors were associated with higher caregiver burden. Results: A total of 321 patients with advanced cancer (58% women; average age 63.3 +/- 14 years; 32.7 with hepatopancreatobiliary tumors) and 321 caregivers (67.1% women; 44% were the patient’s son/daughter; 29% were their spouses) were included. Sixty-four caregivers (20%) had a high caregiver burden (score > 16 in the Zarit scale). Caregiver burden was more common among the patients’ spouses (24.1 %) followed by brothers/sisters (23.6%). On univariate analysis, moderate/severe levels of depression (p = 0.001), moderate/severe levels of anxiety (p = 0.02), and lower PPS scores (p = 0.002) were associated with a high caregiver´s burden. Multivariate analysis showed that only PPS < 180 days was associated with increased odds of having caregiver burden (2.0; 95% CI 1.8-3.7); p = 0.02). Conclusions: A significant proportion of unpaid caregivers of Mexican patients with advanced cancer report high levels of caregiver burden, and the odds of having caregiver burden are increased when the patient has a calculated life expectancy of <6 months. These results suggest targets for future supportive care interventions to improve caregiver wellbeing in Latin American and Hispanic populations.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2022 ASCO Quality Care Symposium

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Poster Session B

Track

Palliative and Supportive Care,Technology and Innovation in Quality of Care,Quality, Safety, and Implementation Science

Sub Track

Caregivers

Citation

J Clin Oncol 40, 2022 (suppl 28; abstr 181)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2022.40.28_suppl.181

Abstract #

181

Poster Bd #

A6

Abstract Disclosures

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