Cancer-related Distress & Unmet Needs Among People With NSCLC

Introduction

Individuals with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are susceptible to distress across multiple life domains. This study aims to describe how individuals living with metastatic or non-metastatic NSCLC characterize cancer-related distress and identify socio-demographic and clinical factors predicting distress.

Authors 

Erica E. Fortune, PhD¹, Abigail Newell,PhD¹, Maria Gonzalo, MS¹, Inderjit K. Dhillon, PhD², Shivani K. Mhatre, PhD, Nandi²ta Kachru, PhD², Cosmina Hogea, PhD²

1. Cancer Support Community, Washington, DC, USA
2. Gilead Uxbridge, United Kingdom
3. Gilead Sciences, Foster City, CA

Methods 

From 2015–2023, 279 U.S. adults with non-small cell lung cancer completed the Cancer Experience Registry, reporting on distress in areas like emotions, symptoms, body image, healthcare communication, and relationships. We examined how distress is related to demographics and clinical factors such as diagnosis stage and treatment.

Results

The study included 279 adults with NSCLC, mostly women (68%) and non-Hispanic White (88%) people, average age 64. Distress was highest for body image, emotional well-being, and relationships. Common concerns included future uncertainty, fatigue, and physical activity. Younger adults and women reported more distress, while employment/retirement was linked to less. Clinical factors like disease stage did not predict distress.

Conclusions

Findings highlight the importance of psychosocial interventions tailored to distress profiles of individual patients and considering more than clinical factors. Additionally, providers should prioritize resources related to coping with uncertainty, managing fatigue, and improving daily activity, given these are top concerns.

Keywords

Cancer Experience Registry cancer patients Emotional and mental health Non-small cell lung cancer Symptoms and side effects