The Unmet Needs of Cancer Survivors in Ausl IRCCS Reggio Emilia

NCT06236373 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: UN2023
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 45
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This qualitative study seeks to explore the unmet needs of individuals who have recently undergone a cancer diagnosis and completed the acute phase of treatment. The primary objective is to utilize the experiences of patients, caregivers, and stakeholders to enhance the aftercare provided to cancer survivors. By delving into patient perceptions regarding unmet needs in cancer aftercare, the study aims to identify areas for redesigning and improving services to minimize these needs and ultimately enhance patient outcomes. Importantly, the investigation incorporates insights from patients, their caregivers, and stakeholders. The research will employ qualitative methods, specifically focus groups and interviews, to gather comprehensive perspectives from individuals in the Ausl IRCCS Reggio Emilia district who have completed treatment for breast, prostate, colorectal, thyroid, and multiple myeloma cancers. Including patients with diverse cancer types is crucial for capturing a broad spectrum of experiences. During data collection, both focus group discussions and interviews will be recorded in audio format and transcribed verbatim. This meticulous approach ensures an accurate representation of participants' voices and experiences. The subsequent analysis will employ a combination of framework and thematic analysis to extract meaningful insights and synthesize the data effectively. The study's ultimate goal is to leverage the findings to optimize aftercare services for cancer survivors within the local context of Ausl IRCCS Reggio Emilia. By incorporating the perspectives of patients, caregivers, and stakeholders, the research aims to contribute valuable insights that can inform the redesign and improvement of aftercare services, ultimately benefitting cancer survivors in the region.

Conditions

Cancer; Breast Cancer; Prostate Cancer; Thyroid Cancer; Colorectal Cancer; Lymphoma; Multiple Myeloma; Neoplasms

Keywords

Unmet needs; Quality of Life; Survivorship care; Cancer; Survivors; Care givers; Stakeholder; Breast; Prostate; Thyroid; Colorectal; Myeloma

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Experience of Self-reported perception of Unmet Needs

  Evaluation from the patients' point of view on their perception of unmet needs, which are those needs that lack the level of service an individual perceives as necessary to achieve optimal well-being. Semi-structured qualitative interviews will be conducted with patients' participating in the study to collect information and description of unsatisfied needs for which cancer survivors would like to receive more assistance or support. These may include (as an example): Stress or other psychological demands, Informational needs, Physical needs, Spiritual needs, among others.

  1- In the last three months 2- In the last 12 months

Study Arms (3)

Cancer Survivors

Cancer Survivors

Other: Focus Groups or Interviews

Cancer Survivors Caregiver

Family members or/and caregivers

Other: Focus Groups or Interviews

Cancer Survivors Stakeholders

Health professionals, patients associations

Other: Focus Groups or Interviews

Interventions

Focus Groups or Interviews OTHER

Focus groups and qualitative interview will be conducted with patients, caregivers and stake-holders trying to identify unmet needs of cancer survivors after the acute treatment phase. Individual interviews (in presence or online) will be hold as alternative if it will not be possible (due to logistical or personal problems) to participate in a focus group or if the number of people who would have agreed to participate in that focus group is less than 3

Cancer Survivors; Cancer Survivors Caregiver; Cancer Survivors Stakeholders

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Cancer survivors who have recived a diagnosis of the following types of cancer: * breast, * prostate, * thyroid, * colorectal, * multiple myeloma * lymphoma Or caregiver/stakeholder of an individual who meets the inclusion criteria and are aged 18 years or over

You may qualify if:

• Adult aged18 years or over.
• Individuals who have a history of breast, prostate, thyroid, colorectal, multiple myeloma or lymphoma cancer within the past years who have completed the acute phase of treatment, and are in follow-up or are receiving maintenance treatment;
• Caregivers for an individual who meets the above criteria, who are aged 18 years or over.
• Stakeholders for individual who meets the above criteria, who are aged 18 years or over.

You may not qualify if:

• Individuals who do not wish to participate
• Individuals who do not understand and/or speak Italian
• Individuals with significant cognitive impairment, learning difficulty, or communication difficulty such that understanding the nature of the study, the interview questions, or participating in a focus group or an on-line or in-presence interview would not be practical.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Modena and Reggio Emilia: lead
• Azienda USL - IRCCS di Reggio Emilia: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Casa della Salute ex Spallanzani

Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, 42123, Italy

RECRUITING

Related Publications (7)

• Contri A, Paltrinieri S, Torreggiani M, Chiara Bassi M, Mazzini E, Guberti M, Campanini I, Ghirotto L, Fugazzaro S, Costi S. Patient-reported outcome measure to implement routine assessment of cancer survivors' unmet needs: An overview of reviews and COSMIN analysis. Cancer Treat Rev. 2023 Nov;120:102622. doi: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2023.102622. Epub 2023 Sep 9.

  PMID: 37713972 BACKGROUND

• Tralongo P, McCabe MS, Surbone A. Challenge For Cancer Survivorship: Improving Care Through Categorization by Risk. J Clin Oncol. 2017 Oct 20;35(30):3516-3517. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2017.74.3450. Epub 2017 Aug 23. No abstract available.

  PMID: 28834437 BACKGROUND

• Santos ATCD, Silva RPD, Almeida LM, Bosi MLM, Menezes MFB, Skaba MMVF, Nigenda G, Arruda CAM, Pinheiro CPO, Gonzalez-Robledo MC, Knaul FM. Cancer survivorship needs in Brazil: Patient and family perspective. PLoS One. 2020 Oct 8;15(10):e0239811. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239811. eCollection 2020.

  PMID: 33031426 BACKGROUND

• Nekhlyudov L, Mollica MA, Jacobsen PB, Mayer DK, Shulman LN, Geiger AM. Developing a Quality of Cancer Survivorship Care Framework: Implications for Clinical Care, Research, and Policy. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2019 Nov 1;111(11):1120-1130. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djz089.

  PMID: 31095326 BACKGROUND

• McCanney J, Winckworth-Prejsnar K, Schatz AA, Nardi EA, Dwyer AJ, Lieu C, Biru Y, Carlson RW. Addressing Survivorship in Cancer Care. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2018 Jul;16(7):801-806. doi: 10.6004/jnccn.2018.7054.

  PMID: 30006422 BACKGROUND

• Contri A, Ghirotto L, Cavuto S, Schiavi M, Cervi E, Soffientini V, Soncini S, Botti S, Frasoldati A, Torreggiani M, Costi S. From patient voices to optimal PROMs: a mixed methods framework for cancer survivorship care. J Cancer Surviv. 2025 Nov 7. doi: 10.1007/s11764-025-01899-x. Online ahead of print.

  PMID: 41201742 DERIVED

• Contri A, Costi S, Guberti M, Soncini S, Botti S, Frasoldati A, Torreggiani M, Ghirotto L. Voices of Survivorship: The Unmet Needs of Italian Cancer Survivors. A Qualitative Study. Cancer Med. 2025 Aug;14(15):e71121. doi: 10.1002/cam4.71121.

  PMID: 40747540 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neoplasms; Breast Neoplasms; Prostatic Neoplasms; Thyroid Neoplasms; Colorectal Neoplasms; Lymphoma; Multiple Myeloma; Thyroid Diseases; Neoplasms, Plasma Cell

Interventions

Focus Groups; Interviews as Topic

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neoplasms by Site; Breast Diseases; Skin Diseases; Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases; Genital Neoplasms, Male; Urogenital Neoplasms; Genital Diseases, Male; Genital Diseases; Urogenital Diseases; Prostatic Diseases; Male Urogenital Diseases; Endocrine Gland Neoplasms; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Endocrine System Diseases; Intestinal Neoplasms; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms; Digestive System Neoplasms; Digestive System Diseases; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Colonic Diseases; Intestinal Diseases; Rectal Diseases; Neoplasms by Histologic Type; Lymphoproliferative Disorders; Lymphatic Diseases; Hemic and Lymphatic Diseases; Immunoproliferative Disorders; Immune System Diseases; Hemostatic Disorders; Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Paraproteinemias; Blood Protein Disorders; Hematologic Diseases; Hemorrhagic Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Data Collection; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Public Health; Environment and Public Health

Study Officials

• Stefania Costi, PhD

  Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale - IRCCS di Reggio Emilia

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Angela Contri, MA

CONTACT

+393478824741; angela.contri@unimore.it

Stefania Costi, PhD

CONTACT

+390522522441; stefania.costi@unimore.it

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: PhD

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 10, 2024
• First Posted: February 1, 2024
• Study Start: April 20, 2023
• Primary Completion: February 1, 2025
• Study Completion: October 1, 2025
• Last Updated: December 9, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-12

Locations

IT (1)