Sword of damocles cutting through the life stages of women with ovarian cancer.

Conclusions:
Age and development stage are key determinants of the needs and concerns of women with ovarian cancer.Interpretation: Age and development stage should be considered when developing an individualized plan of care. Because recurrence is common among this population, the fear of death exists regardless of age and should be explored by nurses, particularly during periods of remission.

Identifying supportive care needs of women with ovarian cancer (abstract)

abstract:
Women diagnosed with ovarian cancer may experience many shortterm and long-term effects from cancer and its treatment. Cancer has more than a physical impact, yet there is a lack of information about the types of needs these women have and whether they want help in meeting their needs. The main purpose of this cross-sectional, descriptive study was to identify the supportive care needs (physical, emotional, social, informational, spiritual, psychological and practical) of women with ovarian cancer who attended a comprehensive, outpatient cancer centre. A further purpose was to determine if women wanted assistance in meeting those needs. A total of 50 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer participated in this study by completing a self-report questionnaire (The Supportive Care Needs Survey). The data indicated that a range of supportive care needs remained unmet for this patient group. Eight of the top 10 most frequently reported needs were psychosocial, such as fears about the cancer returning or spreading. The women also expressed a range of difficulty in managing their needs. However, despite this reality, significant numbers of women indicated they did not wish to have assistance from the clinic staff with some needs. Suggestions for practice and future research are offered to assist oncology nurses in providing care to these women.

Gender-Related Needs and Preferences in Cancer Care Indicate the Need for an Individualized Approach to Cancer Patients

"This study explored the impact of gender on cancer patients' needs and preferences, and found that, of all the patient- and disease-related factors, gender was the most important independent predictor of patient preferences."

(" gender was more important than type of cancer")

The Psychosocial Oncology Learning Assessment: A Province-Wide Survey of Cancer Care Providers' Learning Needs

"This research suggests that cancer care providers are interested in learning more about the psychosocial issues related to cancer care."

2009 A Pan-Canadian Clinical Practice Guideline: Assessment of Psychosocial Health Care Needs of the Adult Cancer Patient

Note:

1) next update is 2014;

2) a quick search reveals that data was:

included for:        breast,colorectal,lung,prostate
not included for:  ovarian,brain,pancreatic,leukemia,lymphoma

Cancer genetic predisposition: information needs of patients irrespective of risk level.

"Participants were stratified by risk level and included those concerned about an inherited predisposition to breast, ovarian or colorectal cancer."
"Findings indicated that irrespective of a person's actual or perceived level of risk, cancer worry, demographic background or personal motivation; priorities in the type of information required were similar. Greatest emphasis focused on information provision about how risk was assessed. Least important was acquiring an understanding about genes and inheritance patterns. Most participants reported difficulties accessing or finding information."