Cancer-Related Distress and Unmet Needs Among Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Survivors

The Research & Training Institute recently presented findings from the Cancer Experience Registry at the American Society of Hematology’s Annual Meeting based on data from 58 Acute Myeloid Leukemia patients and survivors.  Read on for some important information about the relationship between psychosocial distress and unmet needs, as well as some suggestions about how best to provide AML patients and survivors with supportive care. Read the full poster for more details.

New Research

• Research from the RTI was featured at the 61^st American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting & Exposition in Orlando, Florida in December 2019.
• This research featured data from the Cancer Experience Registry® on 58 AML patients and survivors who provided sociodemographic data, completed CancerSupportSource®, and reported on unmet needs and supportive care experiences.
• The study examines the relationship between AML patients’ psychosocial distress and experiences of unmet needs and supportive care.

Main Takeaways

• Conclusion: Gaps persist between AML patients’ reported needs and what they are ultimately asked about by their health care team
• Conclusion: AML patients and survivors need increased social and emotional support and better access to integrated supportive care.

What does this mean for patients?

• Examples of the kind of supportive care and improved access to resources that might be particularly valuable to people with AML include psychosocial and educational programming, financial counseling, and long-term side effect management.
• Cancer Support Community provides the type of resources that AML patients and survivors need in person at a local CSC or Gilda's Cllub throughout the United States, online through our website and MyLifeLine, and over the phone through the Helpline.