%0 Journal Article
%T Investigation and analysis of the comprehensive unmet needs of cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: a cross-sectional study.
%A Luo X
%A Cui R
%A Zhang N
%A Jiang H
%A Zhou L
%A Wang X
%J Support Care Cancer
%V 31
%N 8
%D 2023 Jul 12
%M 37436492
%F 3.359
%R 10.1007/s00520-023-07911-3
%X <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>This study aimed to describe the level of comprehensive needs among cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, to explore the relationship between comprehensive needs and demographic factors, and to examine the relationship between comprehensive needs and treatment variables.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>A cross-sectional descriptive study design was adopted. From September 2021 to July 2022, 194 cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors were recruited using a convenience sampling method in tertiary teaching hospitals in Zhejiang Province, China. The Comprehensive Needs Assessment Tool for Cancer Patients (CNAT) and questionnaires to assess demographic and clinical characteristics were used to collect data.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>The average comprehensive needs score for cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors was 39.2 ± 17.2. Patients reported high levels of medical care needs, knowledge information needs, hospital facilities needs and nursing needs but low levels of religious spiritual support needs, psychoemotional needs, actual support needs, and physical symptom needs. Multiple stepwise linear regression showed that age, primary caregivers, cancer type, number of immunotherapy courses and the occurrence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) were the main factors affecting the comprehensive needs of cancer patients treated with ICIs (p < 0.05).<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Age, primary caregivers, cancer type, number of immunotherapy treatment courses and the occurrence of irAEs are important factors affecting the comprehensive unmet needs of cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Nurses should perform targeted interventions according to the different situations of patients to improve the quality of care.