Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Supportive Care in Cancer
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer 8/2009

01-08-2009 | Review Article

What are the unmet supportive care needs of people with cancer? A systematic review

Authors: James D. Harrison, Jane M. Young, Melanie A. Price, Phyllis N. Butow, Michael J. Solomon

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 8/2009

Login to get access

Abstract

Goals of work

The identification and management of unmet supportive care needs is an essential component of health care for people with cancer. Information about the prevalence of unmet need can inform service planning/redesign.

Materials and methods

A systematic review of electronic databases was conducted to determine the prevalence of unmet supportive care needs at difference time points of the cancer experience.

Results

Of 94 articles or reports identified, 57 quantified the prevalence of unmet need. Prevalence of unmet need, their trends and predictors were highly variable in all domains at all time points. The most frequently reported unmet needs were those in the activities of daily living domain (1–73%), followed by psychological (12–85%), information (6–93%), psychosocial (1–89%) and physical (7–89%). Needs within the spiritual (14–51%), communication (2–57%) and sexuality (33–63%) domains were least frequently investigated. Unmet needs appear to be highest and most varied during treatment, however a greater number of individuals were likely to express unmet need post-treatment compared to any other time. Tumour-specific unmet needs were difficult to distinguish. Variations in the classification of unmet need, differences in reporting methods and the diverse samples from which patients were drawn inhibit comparisons of studies.

Conclusion

The diversity of methods used in studies hinders analysis of patterns and predictors of unmet need among people with cancer and precludes generalisation. Well-designed, context-specific, prospective studies, using validated instruments and standard methods of analysis and reporting, are needed to benefit future interventional research to identify how best to address the unmet supportive care needs of people with cancer.
Literature
1.
American Cancer Society (1979) Report on the social economic and psychological needs of cancer patients in California. Greenleigh Associates, San Francisco, CA
2.
Aranda S, Schofield P, Weih L, Yates P, Milne D, Faulkner R et al (2004) Mapping the quality of life and unmet needs of urban women with metastatic breast cancer. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl) 14:211–222CrossRef
3.
Ashbury FD, Findlay H, Reynolds B, McKerracher K (1998) A Canadian survey of cancer patients’ experiences: Are their needs being met? J Pain Symptom Manage 16:298–306PubMedCrossRef
4.
Billet J, Crossing S (2003) A consumer-initiated survey of women’s experiences of breast cancer services in NSW. NSW Public Health Bull 14:117–119CrossRef
5.
Borberg EW, Gustafson DH, Hawkins RP, Offord KP, Koch C, Wen K et al (2003) Assessing the unmet information, support and care delivery needs of men with prostate cancer. Patient Educ Couns 49:233–242CrossRef
6.
Bonevski B, Sanson-Fisher RW, Girgis A, Burton L, Cook BA (2000) Evaluation of an instrument to assess the needs of patients with cancer. Cancer 88:217–225PubMedCrossRef
7.
Bonevski B, Sanson-Fisher RW, Hersey P, Paul C, Foot G (1999) Assessing the perceived needs of patients attending an outpatient melanoma clinic. J Psychosoc Oncol 17:101–118CrossRef
8.
Bourgeois-Law G, Lotocki R (1999) Sexuality and gynaecological cancer: A needs assessment. Can J Hum Sex 8:231–240
9.
Bullard DG, Causey GG, Newman AB, Orloff R, Schanche K, Wallace DH (1980) Sexual health care and cancer: a needs assessment. Front Radiat Ther Oncol 14:55–58
10.
Campbell-Forsyth L (1990) Patients’ perceived knowledge and learning needs concerning radiation therapy. Cancer Nurs 13:81–89PubMedCrossRef
11.
Canadian Cancer Society (1992) Final report on the needs of people living with cancer across Canada. Canadian Cancer Society, Ontario
12.
Cawley M, Kostic J, Cappello C (1990) Informational and psychosocial needs of women choosing conservative surgery/primary radiation for early stage breast cancer. Cancer Nurs 13:90–94PubMedCrossRef
13.
Charles K, Sellick SM, Montesanto B, Mohide EA (1996) Priorities of cancer survivors regarding psychosocial needs. J Psychosoc Oncol 14:57–72CrossRef
14.
Christ G, Siegel K (1990) Monitoring the quality of life needs of cancer patients. Cancer 65:760–765PubMedCrossRef
15.
Clavarino AM, Lowe JB, Carmony S, Balanda K (2002) The needs of cancer patients and their families from rural and remote areas of Queensland. Austr J Rural Health 10:188–195CrossRef
16.
Dale J, Jatsch W, Hughes N, Pearce A, Meystre C (2004) Information needs and prostate cancer: the development of a systematic means of identification. BJU Int 94:63–69PubMedCrossRef
17.
Davis C, Girgis A, Williams P, Beeney L (1998) Needs assessment of rural and remote women travelling to the city for breast cancer treatment. Aust N Z J Public Health 22:525–527PubMedCrossRef
18.
Davis C, Willimans P, Parle M, Redman S, Turner J (2004) Assessing the support needs of women with early breast cancer in Australia. Cancer Nurs 27:169–174PubMedCrossRef
19.
Department of Health (2000) The NHS Cancer Plan. Department of Health, London
20.
Duke J, Byles J, Treloar C (2001) The perceived needs of men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Australasian Epidemiologist 8:34–40
21.
Epstein RM, Street RL Jr (2007) Patient-centred communication in cancer care: promoting healing and reducing suffering. National Cancer Institute, NIH Publication No. 07-6225, Bethesda, MD
22.
Foot G, Sanson-Fisher R (1995) Measuring the unmet needs of people living with cancer. Cancer Forum 19:131–135
23.
Gates MF, Lackey NR, White MR (1995) Needs of hospice and clinic patients with cancer. Cancer Pract 3:226–232PubMed
24.
Girgis A, Boyes A, Sanson-Fisher RW, Burrows S (2000) Perceived needs of women diagnosed with breast cancer: rural versus urban location. Aust N Z J Public Health 24:166–173PubMedCrossRef
25.
Gozum S, Akcay D (2005) Response to the needs of Turkish chemotherapy patients and their families. Cancer Nurs 28:469–475PubMedCrossRef
26.
Grobe ME, Ahmann DL, Ilstrup DM (1982) Needs assessment for advanced cancer patients and their families. Oncol Nurs Forum 9:26–30PubMed
27.
28.
Gustafson DH (2005) Needs assessment in cancer. In: Lipscomb J, Gotay CC, Snyder C (eds) Outcomes assessment in cancer: Measures methods and applications. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 305–328
29.
Gysels M, Higginson IJ, Rajasekaran M, Davies E, Harding R (2004) Improving supportive and palliative care for adults with cancer: Research Evidence. National Institute of Clinical Excellence & Kings College London, London
30.
Hodgkinson K, Butow P, Fuchs A, Hunt GE, Stenlake A, Hobbs KM et al (2007) Long-term survival from gynecologic cancer: Psychosocial outcomes, supportive care needs and positive outcomes. Gynecol Oncol 104:381–389PubMedCrossRef
31.
Hodgkinson K, Butow P, Hunt GE, Pendlebury S, Hobbs KM, Wain G (2007) Breast cancer survivors’ supportive care 2–10 years after diagnosis. Support Care Cancer 15:515–523PubMedCrossRef
32.
Hodgkinson K, Butow P, Hunt GE, Pendlebury S, Hobbs KM, Wain G (2007) The development and evaluation of a measure to assess cancer survivors’ unmet supportive care needs: the CaSUN (Cancer Survivors Unmet Needs measure). Psychooncology 16:796–804PubMedCrossRef
33.
Houldin AD, Wasserbauer N (1996) Psychosocial needs of older cancer patients: A pilot study abstract. Medsurg Nurs 5:253–256PubMed
34.
Barg FK, Cronholm PF, Straton JB, Keddem S, Knott K, Grater J et al (2007) Unmet psychosocial needs of Pennsylvanians with cancer: 1986–2005. Cancer 110:631–639PubMedCrossRef
35.
Hwang AA, Chang VT, Cogswell J, Alejandro Y, Osenenko P, Morales E et al (2004) Study of unmet needs in symptomatic veterans with advanced cancer. J Pain Symptom Manage 28:421–432PubMedCrossRef
36.
Institute of Medicine (2008) Cancer care for the whole patient: meeting psychosocial concerns. The National Academic Press, Washington DC
37.
Institute of Medicine (2001) Crossing the quality chasm: A new health system for the 21st century. National Academy Press, Washington DC
38.
Jonker-Pool G, Hoekstra HJ, van Imhoff GW, Sonneveld DJA, DTh S, van Driel MF et al (2004) Male sexuality after cancer treatment - needs for information and support: testicular cancer compared to malignant lymphoma. Patient Educ Couns 52:143–150PubMedCrossRef
39.
Krishnasamy M, Wilkie E, Haviland J (2001) Lung cancer health care needs assessment: patients’ and informal carers’ responses to a national mail questionnaire survey. Palliat Med 15:213–227PubMedCrossRef
40.
Li J, Girgis A (2006) Supportive care needs: are patients with lung cancer a neglected population? Psychooncology 15:509–516PubMedCrossRef
41.
Lintz K, Moynihan C, Steginga A, Norman A, Eeles R, Huddart R et al (2003) Prostate cancer patients’ support and psychological care needs: Survey from a non-surgical oncology clinic. Psychooncology 12:769–783PubMedCrossRef
42.
Longman AJ, Atwood JR, Blank Sherman J, Benedict J, Shang T (1992) Care needs of home-based cancer patients and their caregivers. Cancer Nurs 15:182–190PubMedCrossRef
43.
McCaughan EM, Thompson KA (2000) Information needs of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy at a day unit in Northern Ireland. J Clin Nurs 9:851–858CrossRef
44.
McElduff P, Boyes A, Zucca A, Girgis A (2004) The Supportive Care Needs Survey: a guide to administration scoring and analysis. Centre for Health Research & Psycho-oncology, Newcastle
45.
Miller BE, Pittman B, Strong C (2003) Gynecologic cancer patients’ psychosocial needs and their views on the physician’s role in meeting those needs. Int J Gynecol Cancer 13:111–119PubMedCrossRef
46.
Moadel A, Morgan C, Fatone A, Greennan J, Carter J, Laruffa G et al (1999) Seeking meaning and hope: Self-reported spiritual and existential needs among an ethnically-diverse cancer patient population. Psychooncology 8:378–385PubMedCrossRef
47.
Mor V, Allen SM, Houts P, Siegel K (1992) The changing needs of patients with cancer at home. Cancer 69:829–838PubMedCrossRef
48.
Mor V, Allen SM, Siegel K, Houts P (1992) Determinants of needs and unmet need among cancer patients residing at home. Health Serv Res 27:337–360PubMed
49.
Mor V, Guadagnoli E, Wool M (1987) An examination of the concrete service needs of advanced cancer patients. J Psychosoc Oncol 5:1–17CrossRef
50.
National Health Priority Action Council (NHPAC) (2006) National Service Improvement Framework for Cancer. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, Canberra
51.
Newell S, Sanson-Fisher RW, Girgis A, Ackland S (1999) The physical and psychosocial experience of patients attending an outpatient medical oncology department: A cross sectional study. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl) 8:73–82CrossRef
52.
O’Hare PA, Malone D, Lusk E, McCorkle R (1993) Unmet needs of black patients with cancer posthospitalization: A descriptive study. Oncol Nurs Forum 20:659–664PubMed
53.
Osse BHP, Vernooij-Dassen MJFJ, Schade E, Grol RPTM (2005) The problems experienced by patients with cancer and their needs for palliative care. Support Care Cancer 13:722–732PubMedCrossRef
54.
Osse BHP, Vernooij-Dassen MJFJ, Schade E, Grol RPTM (2004) Towards a new clinical tool for needs assessment in palliative care of cancer patients: The PNPC instrument. J Pain Symptom Manage 28:329–341PubMedCrossRef
55.
Richardson A, Medina J, Brown V, Sitzia J (2007) Patients’ needs assessment in cancer care: a review of assessment tools. Support Care Cancer 15:1125–1144PubMedCrossRef
56.
Sanson-Fisher R, Girgis A, Boyes A, Boneveski B, Burton L, Cook P (2000) The unmet supportive care needs of patients with cancer. Cancer 88:225–236CrossRef
57.
Scahg CAC, Ganz PA, Heinrich RL (1991) CAncer Rehabilitation Evaluation System-Short Form (CARES-SF). Cancer 68:1406–1413CrossRef
58.
Schag CAC, Heinrich RL (1990) Development of a comprehensive quality of life measurement tool: CARES. Oncology 4:135–138PubMed
59.
Siegel K, Palamara Mesagno F, Karus DG, Christ G (1992) Reducing the prevalence of unmet needs for concrete services of patients with cancer. Cancer 69:1873–1883PubMedCrossRef
60.
Siegel K, Raveis VH, Houts P, Mor V (1991) Caregiver burden and unmet patient needs. Cancer 68:1131–1140PubMedCrossRef
61.
Silveira JM, Winstead-Fry P (1997) The needs of patients with cancer and their caregivers in rural areas. Oncol Nurs Forum 24:71–76PubMed
62.
Soderback I, Pettersson I, von Essen L, Stein F (2000) Cancer patients’ and their physicians’ perceptions of the formers’ need for occupational therapy. Scand J Occup Ther 7:77–86CrossRef
63.
Somjai A, Chaipoom A (2006) Psychosocial needs of women with cancer of the reproductive system: A comparison of Buddhist and Muslim patients in Thailand. Ment Health Relig Cult 9:379–388CrossRef
64.
Soothill K, Morris SM, Harman J, Francis B, Thomas B, McIllmurray MB (2001) The significant unmet needs of cancer patients: probing psychosocial concerns. Support Care Cancer 9:597–605PubMedCrossRef
65.
Steginga SK, Occhipinti S, Dunn J, Gardiner RA, Heathcote P, Yaxley J (2001) The supportive care needs of men with prostate cancer. Psychoocology 10:66–75CrossRef
66.
Sullivan T, Weinert C, Fulton RD (1993) Living with cancer: Self-identified needs of rural dwellers. Community Health 16:41–49
67.
Sutherland G, Morland M, Hill D, Pruden M, McLachlan S (2004) The supportive care needs of newly diagnosed patients with cancer: A pilot study. The Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne
68.
Tamburini M, Gangeri L, Brunelli C, Beltrami E, Boeri P, Borreani C et al (2000) Assessment of hospitalised cancer patients’ needs by the Needs Evaluation Questionnaire. Ann Oncol 11:31–37PubMedCrossRef
69.
Tamburini M, Gangeri L, Brunelli C, Boeri P, Borreani C, Bosisio M et al (2003) Cancer patients’ needs during hospitalisation: a quantitative and qualitative study. BMC Cancer 3:12PubMedCrossRef
70.
Taylor K, Currow D (2003) A prospective study identified unmet activity of daily living needs among cancer patients at a comprehensive cancer care centre. Aust Occup Ther J 50:79–85CrossRef
71.
Templeton H, Coates V (2003) Informational needs of men with prostate cancer on hormonal manipulation therapy. Patient Educ Couns 49:243–256PubMedCrossRef
72.
Thomas C, Morris SM, McMllmurray MB, Soothill K, Francis B, Harman JC (2001) The psychosocial needs of cancer patients and their main carers. Institute for Health Research, Lancaster University, Lancaster
73.
Voogt E, van Leeuwen A, Visser A, van der Heide A, van der Maas P (2005) Information needs of patients with incurable cancer. Support Care Cancer 13:943–948PubMedCrossRef
74.
Wen K, Gustafason DH (2004) Needs assessments for cancer patients and their families. Health Qual Life Outcomes 2:11PubMedCrossRef
75.
Whelan TJ, Mohide EA, Willan AR, Arnold A, Tew M, Sellick S et al (1997) The supportive care needs of newly diagnosed cancer patients attending a regional cancer center. Cancer 80:1518–1524PubMedCrossRef
76.
Wool MS, Guadagnoli E, Thomas M, Mor V (1989) Negotiating concrete needs: short-term training for high-risk cancer patients. Health Soc Work 14:184–195PubMed
Metadata
Title
What are the unmet supportive care needs of people with cancer? A systematic review
Authors
James D. Harrison
Jane M. Young
Melanie A. Price
Phyllis N. Butow
Michael J. Solomon
Publication date
01-08-2009
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 8/2009
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-009-0615-5

Other articles of this Issue 8/2009

Supportive Care in Cancer 8/2009 Go to the issue

Short Communication

Depression in lung cancer patients: is the HADS an effective screening tool?

Original Article

Prospective assessment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy due to weekly paclitaxel in patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer (CSP-HOR 02 study)

Original Article

Is a change in patient-reported dysphagia after induction chemotherapy in locally advanced esophageal cancer a predictive factor for pathological response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation?

Original Article

Aprepitant as salvage antiemetic therapy in breast cancer patients receiving doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide

Original Article

Patient and practice impact of capecitabine compared to taxanes in first-/second-line chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer

Original Article

Patients with cancer and e-mail: implications for clinical communication
Webinar | 19-02-2024 | 17:30 (CET)

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on antibody–drug conjugates in cancer

Watch now

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are novel agents that have shown promise across multiple tumor types. Explore the current landscape of ADCs in breast and lung cancer with our experts, and gain insights into the mechanism of action, key clinical trials data, existing challenges, and future directions.

Dr. Véronique Diéras
Prof. Fabrice Barlesi
Developed by: Springer Medicine
Image Credits