Blogger's Note: the abstract does not indicate the determinate of 'older'
PURPOSE:
The
aim of this study is to systematically review evidence with regard to
answering the following questions: (1) What are the unmet care needs of
older persons diagnosed with
cancer who are undergoing active
cancer treatment? (2) What are the predictors of unmet needs of older persons while undergoing active
cancer treatment?
METHODS:
A
systematic
review of the literature published between January 1996 and
December 2010 was completed. Manuscripts could be published in English,
French, Dutch, or German searching the Medline, Embase, Psychinfo,
Cinahl, and the Cochrane Library databases.
RESULTS:
Thirty studies were included. A significant proportion of newly-diagnosed patients undergoing
cancer
treatment had unmet needs, ranging from 15 to 93 %. The most common
needs varied by study but included psychological needs, information
needs, and needs in the physical domain. Most studies showed that the
level of unmet needs was highest after diagnosis and start of treatment
and decreased over time.
Predictors of unmet needs included: younger
age, female gender, depression, physical symptoms, marital status,
treatment type, income, and education.
CONCLUSIONS:
The level of unmet needs in newly diagnosed
older cancer
patients after the start of treatment is
high, and the most common
needs are psychological and information needs. More research is needed
which would focus on the needs of older adults with comorbid conditions,
and how these comorbid conditions influence the level of unmet needs.
