Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2023

Survivorship needs in patients with head and neck cancer in regional/remote areas: A qualitative study (#482)

Poorva Pradhan 1 2 , Helen Hughes 2 , Ashleigh Sharman 1 2 , Judith Lacey 3 , Jonathan Clark 1 2 4 5 , Patrick Dwyer 6 , Jacques Hill 7 , Kimberley Davis 8 , Steven Craig 9 , Raymond Wu 1 2 10 , Bruce Ashford 11 , Rebecca Venchiarutti 1 12
  1. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  2. Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  3. Supportive Care and Integrative Oncology, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  4. Royal Prince Alfred Institute of Academic Surgery, Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  5. Faculty of Medicine and Health, Central Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  6. Department of Radiation Oncology, North Coast Cancer Institute, Lismore, NSW, Australia
  7. Department of Radiation Oncology, The Mid North Coast Cancer Institute, Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia
  8. Department of Research, Wollongong Hospital, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
  9. Department of Surgery, Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital, Nowra, NSW, Australia
  10. Department of Radiation Oncology, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  11. Department of Surgery, Wollongong Hospital and Wollongong Private Hospital, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
  12. Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Aims:

As a result of high survival rates in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC), there has now been a recognition of survivorship issues in such patients. Survivors of HNC have among the most unique and complex needs as compared to other types of cancers due to anatomical complexity of the head and neck region. That is, the effects of HNC treatment are often wide ranging and serious, encompassing physical and psychological conditions that are critical to day-to-day functioning. However, much of the research in this area has been focused on patients residing in urban/metropolitan areas. Much less is known for HNC survivors residing in regional/remote areas, where survivorship issues are even more complex. Hence, the current study aims to explore the survivorship needs of patients residing in regional or remote NSW with HNC.

Methods:

Patients with HNC who resided across regional/remote areas of New South Wales were recruited for this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with these patients to explore such needs in-depth. The Quality of Cancer Survivorship Care Framework was used to guide the interviews. These interview sessions were audio-recorded and were then transcribed verbatim and analysed using a thematic analysis approach.

Results:

As of 07/08/2023, four patients have been interviewed, with mean age of 68.25 years having laryngeal and oropharyngeal cancer. Preliminary findings suggest that HNC survivors have long lasting physical symptoms affecting their day-to-day functioning and impairing the overall quality of life. Detailed results along with themes will be presented in the 2023 COSA Annual Scientific Meeting.

Conclusions:

This study will provide new insight into the survivorship needs of patients residing in regional parts of New South Wales and the impact of such needs on their wellbeing. These results may offer directions to future survivorship care service development and potentially critical insights to develop tailored interventions or models of care that address such prominent needs.