PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to assess the supportive needs of breast cancer patients and determine the socio-demographic and clinicopathological predictors of those unmet needs.
METHODS: Of 302 eligible breast cancer patients, attending Yonsei University Severance Hospital, 250 completed the surveys. The supportive care needs were assessed by administering a Supportive Care Needs Survey.
RESULTS: Of the ten highest perceived needs items, 7 items were related to the health system and information domain and 2 to the psychological domain. The univariate analysis in each domain showed education (P=0.083) and chemotherapy (P=0.042) were significant predictors in the psychological domain; education (0=0.000), time since surgery (P=0.009), node metastasis (0.022), chemotherapy (P=0.001) and radiation therapy (P=0.003) in the physical and daily living domain; age (P=0,009) and duration of marriage (P= 0.004) for sexuality; node metastasis (P=0.048), TNM stage (P=0.036), and recurrence (P=0.010) in the health system and information domain and religion (P=0.016) in the care and support domain. A multivariate analysis showed age (P=0.0253) and chemotherapy (P=0.0517) as significant independent predictors in the sexuality domain; education (P=0.0010), chemotherapy (P=0.0011), radiation therapy (P= 0.0133) and time since surgery (P=0.036) in the physical and daily living domain; recurrence (P=0.0324) in the health system and information; domain and education (P=0.0134) and chemotherapy (P=0.0207) in psychological domain.
CONCLUSION: Breast cancer patients experience high levels of unmet supportive needs across each domain, but especially in the health systems and information domain. Also, the types of needs varied according to the patient subgroups. This study suggests considerable improvements be made in terms of supportive care of breast cancer patients.
|