World J Oncol

World Journal of Oncology, ISSN 1920-4531 print, 1920-454X online, Open Access

Article copyright, the authors; Journal compilation copyright, World J Oncol and Elmer Press Inc

Journal website http://www.wjon.org

Original Article

Volume 6, Number 4, August 2015, pages 387-393

Unmet Supportive Cancer Care Needs: An Exploratory Quantitative Study in Rural Australia

**Table 1.** Sample Demographics
Variable	Class	Total
Gender	Male	43 (57%)
	Female	32 (43%)
Age	N	75
	Mean (SD)	68 (12)
	≤ 55	12 (16%)
	56 - 65	14 (19%)
	66 - 75	25 (33%)
	≥ 76	24 (32%)
Cancer type	Breast	11 (15%)
	Gastrointestinal	23 (31%)
	Lung	17 (23%)
	Gynecologic	5 (6.7%)
	Prostate	7 (9.3%)
	Other	12 (16%)
Currently receiving chemo	No	15 (20%)
	Yes	60 (80%)
Treatment with curative intent	No	71 (95%)
	Yes	4 (5.3%)

Table 1. Sample Demographics

Variable

Class

Total

Gender

Male

43 (57%)

Female

32 (43%)

Age

Mean (SD)

68 (12)

≤ 55

12 (16%)

56 - 65

14 (19%)

66 - 75

25 (33%)

≥ 76

24 (32%)

Cancer type

Breast

11 (15%)

Gastrointestinal

23 (31%)

Lung

17 (23%)

Gynecologic

5 (6.7%)

Prostate

7 (9.3%)

Other

12 (16%)

Currently receiving chemo

15 (20%)

Yes

60 (80%)

Treatment with curative intent

71 (95%)

Yes

4 (5.3%)

**Table 2.** Treatment Demographics
Variable	Class	No curative intent	Curative intent	Male	Female	Total
Currently receiving chemo	No	15 (100%)		9 (60%)	6 (40%)	15 (20%)
	Yes	56 (93%)	4 (6.7%)	34 (57%)	26 (43%)	60 (80%)

Table 2. Treatment Demographics

Variable

Class

No curative intent

Curative intent

Male

Female

Total

Currently receiving chemo

15 (100%)

9 (60%)

6 (40%)

15 (20%)

Yes

56 (93%)

4 (6.7%)

34 (57%)

26 (43%)

60 (80%)

**Table 3.** Cancer Type and Gender
Variable	Class	Male	Female	Total
Cancer type	Breast		11 (34%)	11 (15%)
	Gastrointestinal	15 (35%)	8 (25%)	23 (31%)
	Lung	12 (28%)	5 (16%)	17 (23%)
	Gynecologic		5 (16%)	5 (6.7%)
	Prostate	7 (16%)		7 (9.3%)
	Other	9 (21%)	3 (9.4%)	12 (16%)

Table 3. Cancer Type and Gender

Variable

Class

Male

Female

Total

Cancer type

Breast

11 (34%)

11 (15%)

Gastrointestinal

15 (35%)

8 (25%)

23 (31%)

Lung

12 (28%)

5 (16%)

17 (23%)

Gynecologic

5 (16%)

5 (6.7%)

Prostate

7 (16%)

7 (9.3%)

Other

9 (21%)

3 (9.4%)

12 (16%)

**Table 4.** Comparison of SLS Scores Between Cancer Types Using ANOVA
	Sum of squares	Df	Mean square	F	Sig.
Between groups	1,912.42	3	637.474	2.476	0.068
Within groups	18,279.29	71	257.455
Total	20,191.71	74

Table 4. Comparison of SLS Scores Between Cancer Types Using ANOVA

Sum of squares

Mean square

Sig.

Between groups

1,912.42

637.474

2.476

0.068

Within groups

18,279.29

257.455

Total

20,191.71

**Table 5.** *Post Hoc* Dependent Variable: SLS
	(I) Cancer type new	(J) Cancer type new	Mean difference (I-J)	Std. error	Sig.	95% confidence interval
*The mean difference is significant at the 0.05 level.
LSD		Colon	-0.68548	6.28458	0.913	-13.2166	11.8456
		Lung	-13.11376*	6.20881	0.038	-25.4938	-0.7337
		Other	-1.80008	5.63116	0.750	-13.0283	9.4281
	Colon	Breast	0.68548	6.28458	0.913	-11.8456	13.2166
		Lung	-12.42828*	5.58886	0.029	-23.5721	-1.2844
		Other	-1.11460	4.93922	0.822	-10.9631	8.7339
	Lung	Breast	13.11376*	6.20881	0.038	0.7337	25.4938
		Colon	12.42828*	5.58886	0.029	1.2844	23.5721
		Other	11.31368*	4.84246	0.022	1.6581	20.9693
	Other	Breast	1.80008	5.63116	0.750	-9.4281	13.0283
		Colon	1.11460	4.93922	0.822	-8.7339	10.9631
		Lung	-11.31368*	4.84246	0.022	-20.9693	-1.6581

Table 5. Post Hoc Dependent Variable: SLS

(I) Cancer type new

(J) Cancer type new

Mean difference (I-J)

Std. error

Sig.

95% confidence interval

Lower bound

Upper bound

*The mean difference is significant at the 0.05 level.

LSD

Colon

-0.68548

6.28458

0.913

-13.2166

11.8456

Lung

-13.11376*

6.20881

0.038

-25.4938

-0.7337

Other

-1.80008

5.63116

0.750

-13.0283

9.4281

Colon

Breast

0.68548

6.28458

0.913

-11.8456

13.2166

Lung

-12.42828*

5.58886

0.029

-23.5721

-1.2844

Other

-1.11460

4.93922

0.822

-10.9631

8.7339

Lung

Breast

13.11376*

6.20881

0.038

0.7337

25.4938

Colon

12.42828*

5.58886

0.029

1.2844

23.5721

Other

11.31368*

4.84246

0.022

1.6581

20.9693

Other

Breast

1.80008

5.63116

0.750

-9.4281

13.0283

Colon

1.11460

4.93922

0.822

-8.7339

10.9631

Lung

-11.31368*

4.84246

0.022

-20.9693

-1.6581

**Table 6.** Symptoms Analysis
Statement	Percent with moderate to high needs	95% CI
Dealing with lack of energy and tiredness	30.7	20 - 41
Dealing with doing work around the house	25.3	15 - 35
Dealing with changes to your usual routine and lifestyle	22.7	13 - 32
Dealing with a loss of appetite	20.0	11 - 29
Dealing with feeling unwell a lot of the time	18.7	10 - 27

Table 6. Symptoms Analysis

Statement

Percent with moderate to high needs

95% CI

Dealing with lack of energy and tiredness

30.7

20 - 41

Dealing with doing work around the house

25.3

15 - 35

Dealing with changes to your usual routine and lifestyle

22.7

13 - 32

Dealing with a loss of appetite

20.0

11 - 29

Dealing with feeling unwell a lot of the time

18.7

10 - 27

**Table 7.** Psychological
Statement	Percent with moderate to high needs	95% CI
Coping with frustration at not being able to do the things you used to do	24.3	15 - 34
Dealing with concerns about your family’s fears and worries	21.9	12 - 31
Coping with fears about losing your independence	20.3	11 - 29
Working through your feelings about death and dying	20.3	11 - 29
Coping with fears about the cancer spreading	20.0	11 - 29

Table 7. Psychological

Statement

Percent with moderate to high needs

95% CI

Coping with frustration at not being able to do the things you used to do

24.3

15 - 34

Dealing with concerns about your family’s fears and worries

21.9

12 - 31

Coping with fears about losing your independence

20.3

11 - 29

Working through your feelings about death and dying

20.3

11 - 29

Coping with fears about the cancer spreading

20.0

11 - 29

**Table 8.** Activity and Daily Livings
Statement	Percent with moderate to high needs	95% CI
Getting assistance with preparing meals	12.0	5 - 19
Getting assistance to get up or down stairs	10.8	4 - 18
Dealing with frustration at not being able to drive a car	9.3	3 - 16
Getting assistance with walking	8.1	2 - 14
Getting assistance with showering	8.1	2 - 14

Table 8. Activity and Daily Livings

Statement

Percent with moderate to high needs

95% CI

Getting assistance with preparing meals

12.0

5 - 19

Getting assistance to get up or down stairs

10.8

4 - 18

Dealing with frustration at not being able to drive a car

9.3

3 - 16

Getting assistance with walking

8.1

2 - 14

Getting assistance with showering

8.1

2 - 14

**Table 9.** Social
Statement	Percent with moderate to high needs	95% CI
Receiving emotional support from friends and family	12.2	5 - 20
Being able to express feelings with friends and/or family	10.8	4 - 18
Dealing with maintaining relationships with family members	10.7	4 - 18
Dealing with maintaining relationships with friends	9.5	3 - 16
Coping with talking to family and/or friends about the cancer	9.5	3 - 16

Table 9. Social

Statement

Percent with moderate to high needs

95% CI

Receiving emotional support from friends and family

12.2

5 - 20

Being able to express feelings with friends and/or family

10.8

4 - 18

Dealing with maintaining relationships with family members

10.7

4 - 18

Dealing with maintaining relationships with friends

9.5

3 - 16

Coping with talking to family and/or friends about the cancer

9.5

3 - 16

**Table 10.** Medical Information and Communication
Statement	Percent with moderate to high needs	95% CI
Getting information about non-conventional treatments	14.9	7 - 23
Getting information about factors which could influence the course of the cancer	12.2	5 - 20
To be fully informed about your medical test results as soon as possible	10.7	4 - 18
Being able to have open discussion with your doctors	10.7	4 - 18
Getting information about support for yourself, your partner, family or friends	9.3	3 - 16

Table 10. Medical Information and Communication

Statement

Percent with moderate to high needs

95% CI

Getting information about non-conventional treatments

14.9

7 - 23

Getting information about factors which could influence the course of the cancer

12.2

5 - 20

To be fully informed about your medical test results as soon as possible

10.7

4 - 18

Being able to have open discussion with your doctors

10.7

4 - 18

Getting information about support for yourself, your partner, family or friends

9.3

3 - 16

**Table 11.** Spiritual
Statement	Percent with moderate to high needs	95% CI
Being able to choose the place where you want to die	11.0	4 - 18
Setting new priorities for your life	8.0	2 - 14
Dealing with unmet life goals	5.4	0 - 11
Accepting your relationship with God or a higher being	4.1	0 - 9
Dealing with spiritual issues of death and dying	4.1	0 - 9

Table 11. Spiritual

Statement

Percent with moderate to high needs

95% CI

Being able to choose the place where you want to die

11.0

4 - 18

Setting new priorities for your life

8.0

2 - 14

Dealing with unmet life goals

5.4

0 - 11

Accepting your relationship with God or a higher being

4.1

0 - 9

Dealing with spiritual issues of death and dying

4.1

0 - 9

**Table 12.** Financial
Statement	Percent with moderate to high needs	95% CI
Paying the non-medical costs of your illness (e.g. travel)	17.3	9 - 26
Dealing with concerns about your financial situation	11.0	4 - 18
Meeting basic living expenses	10.7	4 - 18
Availability of transport to medical appointments, shopping or work	9.7	3 - 17
Obtaining sufficient financial support	9.5	3 - 16

Table 12. Financial

Statement

Percent with moderate to high needs

95% CI

Paying the non-medical costs of your illness (e.g. travel)

17.3

9 - 26

Dealing with concerns about your financial situation

11.0

4 - 18

Meeting basic living expenses

10.7

4 - 18

Availability of transport to medical appointments, shopping or work

9.7

3 - 17

Obtaining sufficient financial support

9.5

3 - 16