Psychosocial Needs of Breast Cancer Survivors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
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Mar 26, 2024
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Abstract
Background: Despite the high prevalence of breast cancer, there is limited understanding of the psychosocial needs of cancer survivors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Methods: A survey was conducted to assess the psychosocial needs among 205 breast cancer survivors in the UAE and the association of various socio-demographics and clinical characteristics with the psychosocial needs were analysed.
Results: The informational needs were the highest (mean - 27.99 ± 11.02) among the study participants compared to other psychosocial needs. Healthcare specialists were the most preferred source of information for all the psychosocial needs. Individuals currently receiving treatment (p-0.006) and who had longer years of survival (p-0.006) had significantly higher informational concerns. Social and financial concerns were significantly higher in expats (p<0.001), individuals currently receiving treatment (p<0.001) and individuals with longer years of survival (p<0.001).
Conclusion: The study shows that there are unmet psychosocial needs among the breast cancer survivors in the UAE and the needs differ based on demographic and clinical characteristics.
Keywords:
Breast cancer, psychosocial needs, survivorship, Middle East, quality of life
Article Details
How to Cite
AAMIR, Maria et al.
Psychosocial Needs of Breast Cancer Survivors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Medical Research Archives, [S.l.], v. 12, n. 3, mar. 2024.
ISSN 2375-1924.
Available at: <https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/5020>. Date accessed: 30 apr. 2024.
doi: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v12i3.5020.
Section
Research Articles
The Medical Research Archives grants authors the right to publish and reproduce the unrevised contribution in whole or in part at any time and in any form for any scholarly non-commercial purpose with the condition that all publications of the contribution include a full citation to the journal as published by the Medical Research Archives.
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23. Rolnick SJ, Altschuler A, Nekhlyudov L, Elmore JG, Greene SM, Harris EL, Herrinton LJ, Barton MB, Geiger AM, Fletcher SW. What women wish they knew before prophylactic mastectomy. Cancer Nursing. 2007 Jul 1;30(4):285-91. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NCC.0000281733.40856.c4
24. Jenkins V, Fallowfield L, Saul J. Information needs of patients with cancer: results from a large study in UK cancer centres. British journal of cancer. 2001 Jan;84(1):48-51. https://doi.org/10.1054/bjoc.2000.1573
25. Aydiner A, Igci A, Soran A, editors. Breast Disease: Management and Therapies, Volume 2. Springer; 2019 Jul 1. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16792-9
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27. Salem H, Daher-Nashif S. Psychosocial Aspects of Female Breast Cancer in the Middle East and North Africa. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2020 Jan;17(18):6802. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186802
28. Hull E. Psychosocial Nursing Care Along the Cancer Continuum. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development. 2000 Jan 1;16(1):41-2. https://doi.org/10.1097/00124645-200001000-00009
29. Fenn KM, Evans SB, McCorkle R, DiGiovanna MP, Pusztai L, Sanft T, Hofstatter EW, Killelea BK, Knobf MT, Lannin DR, Abu-Khalaf M. Impact of financial burden of cancer on survivors' quality of life. Journal of oncology practice. 2014 Sep;10(5):332-8. https://doi.org/10.1200/JOP.2013.001322
30. Delgado‐Guay M, Ferrer J, Rieber AG, Rhondali W, Tayjasanant S, Ochoa J, Cantu H, Chisholm G, Williams J, Frisbee‐Hume S, Bruera E. Financial distress and its associations with physical and emotional symptoms and quality of life among advanced cancer patients. The oncologist. 2015 Sep;20(9):1092-8. https://doi.org/10.1634/theoncologist.2015-0026
31. Zafar SY, Abernethy AP. Financial toxicity, part I: a new name for a growing problem. Oncology (Williston Park, NY). 2013 Feb;27(2):80.
32. Sharp L, Carsin AE, Timmons A. Associations between cancer‐related financial stress and strain and psychological well‐being among individuals living with cancer. Psycho‐oncology. 2013 Apr;22(4):745-55. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.3055
33. Rachel Klimmek BS, Denise Snow JD. Insurance-related and financial challenges reported by managed care enrollees with breast cancer. Clinical journal of oncology nursing. 2010 Oct 1;14(5):598. https://doi.org/10.1188/10.CJON.598-606
34. Jensen MP, Chang HY, Lai YH, Syrjala KL, Fann JR, Gralow JR. Pain in long-term breast cancer survivors: frequency, severity, and impact. Pain medicine. 2010 Jul 1;11(7):1099-106. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-4637.2010.00880.x
35. Bardwell WA, Ancoli-Israel S. Breast cancer and fatigue. Sleep medicine clinics. 2008 Mar 1;3(1):61-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsmc.2007.10.011
36. Edib Z, Kumarasamy V, Rizal AM, Al-Dubai SA. Most prevalent unmet supportive care needs and quality of life of breast cancer patients in a tertiary hospital in Malaysia. Health and quality of life outcomes. 2016 Dec;14(1):1-0. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-016-0428-4
37. DiSipio T, Hayes S, Newman B, Janda M. What determines the health‐related quality of life among regional and rural breast cancer survivors?. Australian and New Zealand journal of public health. 2009 Dec;33(6):534-9. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-6405.2009.00449.x
38. Avis NE, Crawford S, Manuel J. Quality of life among younger women with breast cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2005 May 20;23(15):3322-30. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2005.05.130
39. Uchida M, Akechi T, Okuyama T, Sagawa R, Nakaguchi T, Endo C, Yamashita H, Toyama T, Furukawa TA. Patients' supportive care needs and psychological distress in advanced breast cancer patients in Japan. Japanese journal of clinical oncology. 2011 Apr 1;41(4):530-6. https://doi.org/10.1093/jjco/hyq230
40. Shea–Budgell MA, Kostaras X, Myhill KP, Hagen NA. Information needs and sources of information for patients during cancer follow-up. Current oncology. 2014 Aug;21(4):165-73. https://doi.org/10.3747/co.21.1932
41. Legese B, Addissie A, Gizaw M, Tigneh W, Yilma T. Information Needs of Breast Cancer Patients Attending Care at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital: A Descriptive Study. Cancer Management and Research. 2021; 13:277. https://doi.org/10.2147/CMAR.S264526
42. Clarke MA, Moore JL, Steege LM, Koopman RJ, Belden JL, Canfield SM, Meadows SE, Elliott SG, Kim MS. Health information needs, sources, and barriers of primary care patients to achieve patient-centered care: A literature review. Health informatics journal. 2016 Dec;22(4):992-1016.
2. Morgan MA. Cancer survivorship: history, quality-of-life issues, and the evolving multidisciplinary approach to implementation of cancer survivorship care plans. Oncology nursing forum 2009 Jul 1 (Vol. 36, No. 4). https://doi.org/10.1188/09.ONF.429-436
3. Lovelace DL, McDaniel LR, Golden D. Long‐term effects of breast cancer surgery, treatment, and survivor care. Journal of midwifery & women's health. 2019 Nov;64(6):713-24. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13012
4. Bodai BI, Tuso P. Breast cancer survivorship: a comprehensive review of long-term medical issues and lifestyle recommendations. The Permanente Journal. 2015;19(2):48. https://doi.org/10.7812/TPP/14-241
5. Senkus E, Jassem J. Cardiovascular effects of systemic cancer treatment. Cancer treatment reviews. 2011 Jun 1;37(4):300-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctrv.2010.11.001
6. Kline RM, Arora NK, Bradley CJ, Brauer ER, Graves DL, Lunsford NB, McCabe MS, Nasso SF, Nekhlyudov L, Rowland JH, Schear RM. Long-term survivorship care after cancer treatment-summary of a 2017 National Cancer Policy Forum Workshop. JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2018 Dec 1;110(12):1300-10. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djy176
7. Towers R. Psychological Issues in Breast Cancer Survivorship. InBreast Cancer Survivorship 2016 (pp. 249-259). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41858-2_19
8. Jacobs LA, Shulman LN. Follow-up care of cancer survivors: challenges and solutions. The Lancet Oncology. 2017 Jan 1;18(1):e19-29.
9. Soothill K, Morris SM, Thomas C, Harman JC, Francis B, McIllmurray MB. The universal, situational, and personal needs of cancer patients and their main carers. European Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2003 Mar 1;7(1):5-13.
10. Thorsen L, Gjerset GM, Loge JH, Kiserud CE, Skovlund E, Fløtten T, Fosså SD. Cancer patients’ needs for rehabilitation services. Acta Oncologica. 2011 Feb 1;50(2):212-22.
11. Levit LA, Balogh E, Nass SJ, Ganz P, editors. Delivering high-quality cancer care: charting a new course for a system in crisis. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2013 Dec 27. https://doi.org/10.17226/18359
12. Nair SC, Jaafar H, Jaloudi M, Qawasmeh K, AlMarar A, Ibrahim H. Supportive care needs of multicultural patients with cancer in the United Arab Emirates. ecancermedicalscience. 2018;12 https://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2018.838
13. The United Arab Emirates Government portal. Health insurance. Available at: https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/health-and-fitness/health-insurance
14. Fong EJ, Cheah WL. Unmet supportive care needs among breast cancer survivors of community-based support group in Kuching, Sarawak. International journal of breast cancer. 2016 Apr 27;2016. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/7297813
15. Thewes B, Butow P, Girgis A, Pendlebury S. The psychosocial needs of breast cancer survivors; a qualitative study of the shared and unique needs of younger versus older survivors. Psycho‐Oncology: Journal of the Psychological, Social and Behavioral Dimensions of Cancer. 2004 Mar;13(3):177-89. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.710
16. Park BW, Hwang SY. Unmet needs of breast cancer patients relative to survival duration. Yonsei medical journal. 2012 Jan 1;53(1):118-25. https://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2012.53.1.118
17. Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. Survey of Needs [unpublished instrument]. Rochester, MN: Cancer Education Center of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center; 2007.
18. Legese B, Addissie A, Gizaw M, Tigneh W, Yilma T. Information Needs of Breast Cancer Patients Attending Care at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital: A Descriptive Study. Cancer Management and Research. 2021;13:277. https://doi.org/10.2147/CMAR.S264526
19. Kuruppu DC, Wijeyaratne CN, Gunawardane N, Amarasinghe I. Assessment of Information Needs of Patients with Breast Cancer: A Hospital-Based Study in Sri Lanka. Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2020 Oct 1;7(4):375-81. https://doi.org/10.4103/apjon.apjon_23_20
20. Shea–Budgell MA, Kostaras X, Myhill KP, Hagen NA. Information needs and sources of information for patients during cancer follow-up. Current oncology. 2014 Aug;21(4):165-73. https://doi.org/10.3747/co.21.1932
21. Davison BJ, Breckon EN. Impact of health information-seeking behavior and personal factors on preferred role in treatment decision making in men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer. Cancer Nursing. 2012 Nov 1;35(6):411-8. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCC.0b013e318236565a
22. Bernstein KI, Promislow S, Carr R, Rawsthorne P, Walker JR, Bernstein CN. Information needs and preferences of recently diagnosed patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammatory bowel diseases. 2011 Feb 1;17(2):590-8. https://doi.org/10.1002/ibd.21363
23. Rolnick SJ, Altschuler A, Nekhlyudov L, Elmore JG, Greene SM, Harris EL, Herrinton LJ, Barton MB, Geiger AM, Fletcher SW. What women wish they knew before prophylactic mastectomy. Cancer Nursing. 2007 Jul 1;30(4):285-91. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NCC.0000281733.40856.c4
24. Jenkins V, Fallowfield L, Saul J. Information needs of patients with cancer: results from a large study in UK cancer centres. British journal of cancer. 2001 Jan;84(1):48-51. https://doi.org/10.1054/bjoc.2000.1573
25. Aydiner A, Igci A, Soran A, editors. Breast Disease: Management and Therapies, Volume 2. Springer; 2019 Jul 1. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16792-9
26. Bloom JR, Stewart SL, Chang S, Banks PJ. Then and now: quality of life of young breast cancer survivors. Psycho‐Oncology: Journal of the Psychological, Social and Behavioral Dimensions of Cancer. 2004 Mar;13(3):147-60. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.794
27. Salem H, Daher-Nashif S. Psychosocial Aspects of Female Breast Cancer in the Middle East and North Africa. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2020 Jan;17(18):6802. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186802
28. Hull E. Psychosocial Nursing Care Along the Cancer Continuum. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development. 2000 Jan 1;16(1):41-2. https://doi.org/10.1097/00124645-200001000-00009
29. Fenn KM, Evans SB, McCorkle R, DiGiovanna MP, Pusztai L, Sanft T, Hofstatter EW, Killelea BK, Knobf MT, Lannin DR, Abu-Khalaf M. Impact of financial burden of cancer on survivors' quality of life. Journal of oncology practice. 2014 Sep;10(5):332-8. https://doi.org/10.1200/JOP.2013.001322
30. Delgado‐Guay M, Ferrer J, Rieber AG, Rhondali W, Tayjasanant S, Ochoa J, Cantu H, Chisholm G, Williams J, Frisbee‐Hume S, Bruera E. Financial distress and its associations with physical and emotional symptoms and quality of life among advanced cancer patients. The oncologist. 2015 Sep;20(9):1092-8. https://doi.org/10.1634/theoncologist.2015-0026
31. Zafar SY, Abernethy AP. Financial toxicity, part I: a new name for a growing problem. Oncology (Williston Park, NY). 2013 Feb;27(2):80.
32. Sharp L, Carsin AE, Timmons A. Associations between cancer‐related financial stress and strain and psychological well‐being among individuals living with cancer. Psycho‐oncology. 2013 Apr;22(4):745-55. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.3055
33. Rachel Klimmek BS, Denise Snow JD. Insurance-related and financial challenges reported by managed care enrollees with breast cancer. Clinical journal of oncology nursing. 2010 Oct 1;14(5):598. https://doi.org/10.1188/10.CJON.598-606
34. Jensen MP, Chang HY, Lai YH, Syrjala KL, Fann JR, Gralow JR. Pain in long-term breast cancer survivors: frequency, severity, and impact. Pain medicine. 2010 Jul 1;11(7):1099-106. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-4637.2010.00880.x
35. Bardwell WA, Ancoli-Israel S. Breast cancer and fatigue. Sleep medicine clinics. 2008 Mar 1;3(1):61-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsmc.2007.10.011
36. Edib Z, Kumarasamy V, Rizal AM, Al-Dubai SA. Most prevalent unmet supportive care needs and quality of life of breast cancer patients in a tertiary hospital in Malaysia. Health and quality of life outcomes. 2016 Dec;14(1):1-0. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-016-0428-4
37. DiSipio T, Hayes S, Newman B, Janda M. What determines the health‐related quality of life among regional and rural breast cancer survivors?. Australian and New Zealand journal of public health. 2009 Dec;33(6):534-9. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-6405.2009.00449.x
38. Avis NE, Crawford S, Manuel J. Quality of life among younger women with breast cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2005 May 20;23(15):3322-30. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2005.05.130
39. Uchida M, Akechi T, Okuyama T, Sagawa R, Nakaguchi T, Endo C, Yamashita H, Toyama T, Furukawa TA. Patients' supportive care needs and psychological distress in advanced breast cancer patients in Japan. Japanese journal of clinical oncology. 2011 Apr 1;41(4):530-6. https://doi.org/10.1093/jjco/hyq230
40. Shea–Budgell MA, Kostaras X, Myhill KP, Hagen NA. Information needs and sources of information for patients during cancer follow-up. Current oncology. 2014 Aug;21(4):165-73. https://doi.org/10.3747/co.21.1932
41. Legese B, Addissie A, Gizaw M, Tigneh W, Yilma T. Information Needs of Breast Cancer Patients Attending Care at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital: A Descriptive Study. Cancer Management and Research. 2021; 13:277. https://doi.org/10.2147/CMAR.S264526
42. Clarke MA, Moore JL, Steege LM, Koopman RJ, Belden JL, Canfield SM, Meadows SE, Elliott SG, Kim MS. Health information needs, sources, and barriers of primary care patients to achieve patient-centered care: A literature review. Health informatics journal. 2016 Dec;22(4):992-1016.