Evaluating the Needs of Patients Living With Solid Tumor Cancer: A Survey Design

Purpose: To describe the unmet needs of adult patients living with solid tumor cancer. Design: Survey design. Method: Adult patients living with solid tumor cancer from two outpatient clinics were mailed the Sheffield Profile for Assessment and Referral to Care, a holistic screening questionnaire for assessing palliative care needs, and a demographics questionnaire. One hundred fifteen patients returned the instruments, corresponding to a 62% response rate. Findings: There were no significant differences by cancer type (breast, non-breast) or gender. However, Caucasians reported significantly more psychological issues, such as anxiety, than non-Caucasians ([n = 101 (87.8%)] and [n = 14 (12.2%)], respectively, p =.032). Older patients reported more concerns about loss of independence/activity (p =.012) compared with younger age groups. Patients living with Stage III/IV cancer reported more distressed about independence/activity (p =.034), family/social issues (p =.007), and treatment side effects (p =.027) than patients living with Stage I/II cancer. Conclusion: Patients living with solid tumor cancer have a myriad of unmet needs regardless of age, gender, cancer type, or cancer stage. There appears to be important differences by cancer stage. The Sheffield Profile for Assessment and Referral to Care questionnaire provides a holistic approach for nurses to identify unmet needs and concerns. Future research should explore the preferred methods of receiving support and information.