1. Does the distance to the cancer center affect psycho-oncological care and emergency visits of patients with IDH wild-type gliomas? A retrospective study.
- Author
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Fischl A, Gerken M, Roos P, Haedenkamp T, Hillberg A, Klinkhammer-Schalke M, Kölbl O, Linker R, Proescholdt M, Pukrop T, Riemenschneider MJ, Schmidt NO, Schön I, Vogelhuber M, Hau P, and Bumes E
- Abstract
Background: Malignant isocitrate dehydrogenase wild-type (IDHwt) gliomas impose a high symptomatic and psychological burden. Wide distances from patients' homes to cancer centers may affect the delivery of psycho-oncological care. Here, we investigated, in a large brain tumor center with a rural outreach, the initiation of psycho-oncological care depending on spatial distance and impact of psycho-oncological care on emergency visits., Methods: Electronic patient charts, the regional tumor registry, and interviews with the primary care physicians were used to investigate clinical data, psycho-oncological care, and emergency unit visits. Interrelations with socio-demographic, clinical, and treatment aspects were investigated using univariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analysis and the Pearson's Chi-square test., Results: Of 491, 229 adult patients of this retrospective cohort fulfilled the inclusion criteria for analysis. During the last three months of their lives, 48.9% received at least one psycho-oncological consultation, and 37.1% visited the emergency unit at least once. The distance from the cancer center did neither affect the initiation of psycho-oncological care nor the rate of emergency unit visits. Receiving psycho-oncological care did not correlate with the frequency of emergency unit visits in the last three months of life., Conclusion: We conclude that the distance of IDHwt glioma patients' homes from their cancer center, even in a rural area, does not significantly influence the rate of psycho-oncological care., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the European Association of Neuro-Oncology.)
- Published
- 2023
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