Background: There is a need for a better understanding of survivorship-related issues in advanced cancer survivors treated with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). The purpose of this study was to identify survivorship-related issues, with a focus on psychological distress, cognitive complaints, physical sequelae, impact on family dynamics, and care needs in unresectable, advanced cancer survivors treated with ICB. Methods: Semi-structured interviews and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were conducted in survivors followed up at the University Hospital Brussels. We performed content analysis on the semi-structured interviews and analyzed the PROMs descriptively. Results: 70 cancer survivors (71.4%) consented to participate between July 2022 and November 2023. Clinical fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) was present in 54.3% of the cancer survivors, and 18.6% had elevated cognitive complaints. We identified triggers related to clinically important psychological distress, such as immune-related adverse events, the progression/recurrence of disease, difficulties in adjusting to life after treatment, and co-existing life stressors, alongside persistent physical issues and unmet psychological and nutritional care needs. Conclusion: Our results indicate the existence of persistent psychological, physical, and cognitive issues, and support the need for routine screening for FCR. The identified triggers related to severe psychological distress can aid clinicians in timely referring the patient, thereby enhancing survivorship care.
背景：有必要深入了解接受免疫检查点阻断剂（ICB）治疗的晚期癌症幸存者所面临的生存相关问题。本研究旨在识别接受ICB治疗的不可切除晚期癌症幸存者的生存相关问题，重点关注其心理困扰、认知障碍、躯体后遗症、对家庭关系的影响以及照护需求。方法：在布鲁塞尔大学医院随访的幸存者中开展半结构化访谈及患者报告结局测量。我们对半结构化访谈进行内容分析，并对患者报告结局数据进行描述性统计分析。结果：2022年7月至2023年11月期间，70名癌症幸存者（71.4%）同意参与研究。54.3%的幸存者存在临床显著的癌症复发恐惧，18.6%存在明显认知障碍。研究识别出与临床重要心理困扰相关的触发因素，包括免疫相关不良事件、疾病进展/复发、治疗后生活适应困难以及并存的生活压力源，同时发现持续存在的躯体问题及未满足的心理与营养照护需求。结论：研究结果表明晚期癌症幸存者存在持续的心理、躯体和认知问题，支持对癌症复发恐惧进行常规筛查的必要性。所识别的严重心理困扰相关触发因素可帮助临床医生及时转诊患者，从而提升生存照护质量。
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家