Search

Pain is an increasing concern in the growing number of head and neck cancer survivors. This study aimed to analyze the 5-year prevalence of pain in French survivors of head and neck cancer and to identify associated factors. Analyses were performed among 296 5-year cancer survivors diagnosed in 2010. Using multivariable logistic regressions, we studied the associations between pain and factors collected in the French representative national “vie apres le cancer” (VICAN) survey. Eligible participants were aged from 18 to 82 years; patients’ living conditions, socioeconomic characteristics, and medical data were collected. Pain was reported by 72.6% of the participants. In the multivariable analyses, decreasing level of physical activity was the only determinant of increased overall pain (OR= 2.77, CI= 1.48–5.17). The chronic pain prevalence was 62.3%. The main risk factors found were tumor localization in the oropharynx (OR= 2.49, CI= 1.27–4.88), education (at least a high school’s degree) (OR= 0.33, CI= 0.13–0.9), and decreased physical activity (OR= 2.20, CI= 1.24–3.9). Five years after diagnosis, pain is a very frequent sequelae that has a significant impact on quality of life in head and neck cancer survivors. Reduced physical activity, a low level of education, and tumor localization in the oropharynx are factors associated with pain. Pain frequency and its impact on patients’ lives imply that an adaptation must be made in terms of both pain diagnosis and management and the training of healthcare professionals. This is not a clinical trial. ISP number: INSERM C11-63.

International audience; Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the use of non-conventional medicine (NCM) among long-term cancer survivors and its links with healthy behavior.Methods: This study used data from the VICAN survey, conducted in 2015-2016 on a representative sample of French cancer survivors 5 years after diagnosis.Results: Among the 4174 participants, 21.4% reported using NCM at the time of the survey, including 8.4% who reported uses not associated with cancer. The most frequently cited reasons for using NCM were to improve their physical well-being (83.0%), to strengthen their body (71.2%), to improve their emotional well-being (65.2%), and to relieve the side effects of treatment (50.7%). The NCM users who reported using NCM to cure cancer or prevent relapses (8.5% of the participants) also used NCM for other reasons. They had more often experienced cancer progression, feared a recurrence, and had a poorer quality of life because of sequelae, pain, and fatigue. They also consulted their general practitioners more frequently and had changed their lifestyle by adopting more healthy practices.Conclusion: The use of NCM is not an alternative but a complementary means of coping with impaired health. Further research is now required to determine whether the use of NCM reflects a lifestyle change or whether it assists survivors rather to make behavioral changes.Implications for cancer survivors: The use of NCM should alert physicians to survivors' impaired quality of life. It might be useful to provide patients with NCM guidelines in order to inform their decision and to prevent unrealistic expectations.

International audience; Objective: We aimed to assess the long-term association of therapeutic strategies with urinary, sexual function and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) for 5-year prostate cancer (PC) survivors. Materials & methods: The VICAN survey consisted of self-reported data prospectively collected, including living conditions, treatment side effects and quality of life (QoL) of cancer survivors. Results: Among the 434 PC survivors, 52.8% reported urinary incontinence (UI) and 55.8% reported erectile dysfunction (ED). Patients treated with radical prostatectomy with salvage radiotherapy reported significantly more UI (p = 0.014) and more ED (p = 0.012) compared with other strategies. UI was significantly associated with physical and mental health-related QoL (p = 0.045 and p = 0.049, respectively). Conclusion: Self-assessed functional outcomes 5 years after PC diagnosis remain poor and could have an impact on health-related QoL.

Background: The number of cancer survivors is growing increasingly worldwide and a growing need exists for greater knowledge into cancer survivorship. The long-term negative consequences of the disease are now better known. Cancer may also foster positive outcomes such as post-traumatic growth. Some survivors consider life after cancer as the start of a new life and put in place a coping process called post-traumatic development (PTD) measured by a scale developed by Tedeschi and Calhoun. Objective: The purpose of this article is to determine modifiable factors affecting PTD, particularly those that could integrate clinical interventions, and those that reflects patient behaviors, willing to improve their health.Methods: This study focuses on the 1,982 participants in the VICAN cohort who responded to the survey at two and five years from diagnosis. Our search for characteristics associated with moderate to high PTD was conducted using logistic regressions.Results: Factors positively associated with moderate or high PTD are, a positive perception of time spent on information, increased physical activity and healthier diet, have benefited from psychological support at the beginning of the disease.Conclusion: High PTD is strongly associated with health behavior and information. Our findings suggest that appropriate clinical and educational interventions can help foster growth after the experience of cancer. Even if we do not know what causes what, it is admitted that the interventions leading to the Adapted Physical Activities, for example, are good from all points of view.

The number of cancer survivors is growing increasingly worldwide. The long-term negative consequences of the disease are now better known. Cancer may also foster positive outcomes. Some survivors consider life after cancer as the start of a new life and experience positive changes called post-traumatic growth (PTG) measured by a scale developed by Tedeschi and Calhoun.The purpose of this article was to explore actionable factors affecting PTG, particularly those in relation with health care management and those that reflected health behavior changes.This study included the 1,982 participants in the VICAN cohort who responded to the questionnaire on living conditions 2 and 5 years after diagnosis. Factors associated with a moderate or high PTG (score ≥ 63) were identified using logistic regressions.Factors positively associated with moderate or high PTG were being satisfied with the time spent by health care team on information (OR:1.35 [1.08;1.70]), increased physical activity (OR:1.42 [1.04;1.95]) and healthier diet (OR:1.85 [1.44;2.36]) since diagnosis, and having benefited from psychological support at diagnosis (OR:1.53 [1.16;2.01]).High PTG is positively associated with health behavior and time spent on information. Our findings suggest that appropriate clinical and educational interventions can help foster growth after the experience of cancer. Even if we do not know what causes what, it is admitted that the interventions leading to an increase of physical activity, for example, are good from all points of view.

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is frequent in survivors, but less is known about FCR in long-term survivors with very low risk of relapse. Our aim was to estimate the prevalence and clinical and socio-behavioural factors associated with FCR in young women 5 years after diagnosis of a good-prognosis cancer.Using data from the VICAN-5 survey, conducted in 2015-2016 amongst a national representative French sample of cancer survivors, we included women with non-metastatic melanoma, breast, or thyroid cancer, aged 55 years or under at diagnosis, who experienced no disease progression in the 5 years post-diagnosis. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with FCR, characterised using a three-level indicator: no, mild, and moderate/severe FCR.Amongst the 1153 women included, mean age was 44 years at diagnosis, and 81.8% had breast cancer, 12.5% thyroid cancer, and 5.8% melanoma. Five years after diagnosis, 35.4% reported no FCR, 46.0% mild FCR, and 18.6% moderate/severe FCR. Women with thyroid cancer were less likely to suffer from mild or moderate/severe FCR, while cancer-related treatment sequelae, fatigue, and anxiety were more likely. Limited health literacy was associated with mild FCR. Women who reported only occasionally consulting a general practitioner (GP) for the management of their cancer had a higher probability of FCR.Moderate/severe FCR affected nearly 20% of young female long-term survivors diagnosed with a good-prognosis cancer, particularly those reporting cancer-related sequelae, suffering from fatigue or anxiety, with breast cancer or melanoma (versus thyroid cancer), and consulting a GP only occasionally for cancer management.Given the recognised impact of FCR on quality of life, it is essential to detect it as early as possible, and to implement targeted interventions in routine care.

International audience; Purpose To address the gap highlighted in the literature on the effect of professional interventions to facilitate continued employment, this study aims to evaluate the effect of workplace accommodations on the continued employment 5 years after a cancer diagnosis. Methods This study is based on VICAN5, a French survey conducted in 2015-2016 to examine the living conditions of cancer survivors 5 years after diagnosis. Two subsamples, one with and one without workplace accommodations, were matched using a propensity score to control for the individual, professional, and medical characteristics potentially associated with receipt of workplace accommodations. Results The study sample was composed of 1514 cancer survivors aged 18-54 and employed as salaried at diagnosis. Among them, 61.2% received workplace accommodations within 5 years after diagnosis: 35.5% received a modified workstation, 41.5% received a modified schedule, and 49.2% received reduced hours. After matching, receipt of workplace accommodations appeared to improve the continued employment rate 5 years after cancer diagnosis from 77.8% to 95.0%. Conclusions Receipt of workplace accommodations strongly increases the continued employment of cancer survivors 5 years after diagnosis. More research is needed to better understand the differences in receipt of workplace accommodations along with the related selection effect.

International audience; Objective: Genetic counseling in at-risk families is known to improve cancer prevention. Our study aimed to determine the rate of uptake of genetic counseling among adult children of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and to identify the potential psychosocial factors associated with uptake of genetic counseling.Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was mailed to 328 BRCA1/2 mutation carriers 10 years after BRCA1/2 test disclosure. Of the 233 carriers who returned the questionnaire (response rate = 71%), 135 reported having children over age 18 years and were therefore included in the analysis. Generalized estimating equations models were used to identify the factors associated with uptake of genetic counseling among adult children of mutation carriers.Results: Data were gathered for a total of 296 children (46% male, 54% female). The vast majority were informed about the familial mutation (90.9%) and 113 (38%; 95% CI, 32%-44%) underwent genetic counseling. This percentage exceeded 80% in women over 40 years. In the multivariate model, female sex, advanced age, mutation in the father, diagnosis of cancer in the mutation-carrying parent after genetic testing, and good family relationships were all factors associated with higher uptake of genetic counseling.Conclusions: Adult children of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers in France do not undergo genetic counseling sufficiently often. Further studies should be conducted on the psychosocial factors that hinder the uptake of genetic counseling among adult children of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers.

International audience; This study aimed to describe adjuvant endocrine therapy adherence trajectories over 5 years and to identify factors associated with these trajectories, in a nationwide French cohort of breast cancer survivors. Among the 33,260 women included, 23,202 (68.8%) had a continuous optimal adherence trajectory. The main factors associated with nonadherence trajectories were extreme age (younger than 50 and older than 70 years) and switching adjuvant endocrine therapy. Background: Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) improves long-term survival of breast cancer patients, yet many women are nonadherent or discontinue this treatment. In this study we aimed to describe AET adherence trajectories over 5 years after treatment initiation and to identify factors associated with these trajectories, in a nationwide French cohort of breast cancer survivors. Patients and Methods: Every woman diagnosed with a first nonmetastatic breast cancer in 2011 in France who initiated AET in the 12 months after surgery was included from the French cancer cohort. We identified all reimbursements for AET from national health administrative data sets and modeled AET adherence trajectories over 5 years, using group-based trajectory modeling on the basis of the monthly proportion of days covered by AET. Associated factors were identified using multinomial logistic regressions. Results: We included 33,260 women. A 6-trajectory model was selected: 1, immediate discontinuation (6.6%); 2, continuous suboptimal adherence (4.3%); 3, progressive nonadherence then discontinuation (6.3%); 4, early nonadherence then discontinuation (5.7%); 5, continuous optimal adherence (68.8%); and 6, late nonadherence then discontinuation (8.3%). The main factors associated with nonadherence trajectories were extreme age (younger than 50 and older than 70 years) and switching AET. Conclusion: Approximately 70% of women had optimal adherence over all 5 years. The original nationwide approach enabled us to identify the "continuous suboptimal adherence trajectory" never previously described.

Background Regular physical activity (PA) and healthy body weight have proven benefits on survival in breast cancer (BC) survivors. We aimed to define predictors of long-term PA and weight gain in a representative sample of BC survivors. Methods Data were analysed from 723 women with BC who participated in both the 2012 and 2015 French National VICAN surveys. Results Five years after diagnosis, 26.0, 60.6, and 13.4 % of BC survivors reported regular, occasional and no PA, respectively. Moreover, 27.4 % had a weight gain ≥5 kg. In multinomial logistic regressions, regular and occasional PA were both associated with not having depressive disorders, with higher post-traumatic growth, and with a healthy and stable Body Mass Index. Occasional PA was associated with the use of non-conventional medicine, and regular PA with better mental quality of life and normal arm mobility. Weight gain ≥5 kg was associated with younger age, heavier body weight at diagnosis, and lymphedema 5 years after diagnosis. Conclusions Mental well-being is associated with successful long-term patient investment in PA. Psychological support and early management of disease sequelae are needed to help ensure BC survivors engage in and maintain healthy lifestyles., Highlights • A quarter of breast cancer survivors at 5 years reported regular physical activity. • Occasional physical activity was associated with use of non-conventional medicine. • Mental well-being was associated with long-term investment in physical activity. • Early sequelae managing may help survivors engage in and maintain healthy lifestyles.

Background: The Group-based trajectory modelling (GBTM) method is increasingly used in pharmacoepidemiologic studies to describe medication adherence trajectories over time. However, assessing the effects of these medication adherence trajectories on health-related outcomes remains challenging. The purpose of this review is to describe studies assessing the effects of medication adherence trajectories estimated by the GBTM method on health-related outcomes. Methods: We will conduct a systematic review according to the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. We will search in the following databases: PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Cochrane database up to April 1st, 2021. Two reviewers will independently select articles and extract data. Discrepancies at every step will be resolved through discussion, and consensus will be reached for all disagreed articles. A third reviewer will act as a referee if needed. We will use tables to synthesize the modalities used to estimate medication adherence trajectories and the effect of adherence trajectories on health-related outcomes. We will identify the types of health-related outcomes studied and how they are defined, the statistical models used, the effect measure yield, and how medication adherence trajectories have been incorporated in the model. We will also review the limitations and biases reported by the authors and their attempts to mitigate them. We will provide a narrative synthesis.Discussion: This review will provide a clear view of the strategies and methods used in medication adherence research to estimate the effects of adherence trajectories on different health-related outcomes. A thorough exploration of how GBTM is used for this specific purpose could represent the first crucial steps towards optimizing the utilization of this method in adherence studies. Systematic review registration: Prospero CRD42021213503.

Simple Summary Breast cancer induces sequelae even years after diagnosis, but little is currently known about long-term sequelae patterns. This study aimed to (1) assess the evolution of the main sequelae and treatment two and five years after diagnosis in women with early-stage breast cancer, (2) explore patterns of sequelae associated with given sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors. Our results show that six main classes of sequelae were identified and remain constant over time except for fatigue and cognitive sequelae. The latent class analysis identified two main classes of sequelae (functional and esthetic patterns) and we have highlighted that different risk factors such as treatment, sociodemographic level, and physical activity level were associated with an increased risk of long-term sequelae. Abstract Breast cancer (BC) remains complex for women both physically and psychologically. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess the evolution of the main sequelae and treatment two and five years after diagnosis in women with early-stage breast cancer, (2) explore patterns of sequelae associated with given sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors. The current analysis was based on 654 localized BC patients enrolled in the French nationwide longitudinal survey “vie après cancer” VICAN (January–June 2010). Information about study participants was collected at enrollment, two and five years after diagnosis. Changes over time of the main sequelae were analyzed and latent class analysis was performed to identify patterns of sequelae related to BC five years after diagnosis. The mean age (±SD) of study participants at inclusion was 49.7 (±10.5) years old. Six main classes of sequelae were identified two years and five years post-diagnosis (functional, pain, esthetic, fatigue, psychological, and gynecological). A significant decrease was observed for fatigue (p = 0.03) and an increase in cognitive sequelae was reported (p = 0.03). Two latent classes were identified—functional and esthetic patterns. Substantial sequelae remain up to five years after BC diagnosis. Changes in patient care pathways are needed to identify BC patients at a high risk.

BACKGROUND Several countries have implemented mobile apps in an attempt to trace close contacts of patients with COVID-19 and, in turn, reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2. However, the effectiveness of this approach depends on the adherence of a large segment of the population. OBJECTIVE The aims of this study were to evaluate the acceptability of a COVID-19 contact tracing mobile app among the French population and to investigate the barriers to its use. METHODS The Health Literacy Survey 2019 questioned 1003 people in France during the COVID-19 pandemic on the basis of quota sampling. The survey collected sociodemographic characteristics and health literacy data, as well as information on participants’ communication with caregivers, trust in institutions, and COVID-19 knowledge and preventive behaviors. The acceptability of a mobile app for contact tracing was measured by a single question, the responses to which were grouped into three modalities: app-supporting, app-willing, and app-reluctant. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with the acceptability of a mobile app during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS Only 19.2% (193/1003) of all participants were app-supporting, whereas half of them (504/1003, 50.3%) were reluctant. The factors associated with willingness or support toward the contact tracing app included lower financial deprivation (app-willing: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.8, 95% CI 0.69-0.93; app-supporting: aOR 0.7, 95% CI 0.58-0.84) and higher perceived usefulness of using a mobile app to send completed health questionnaires to doctors (app-willing: aOR 2.3, 95% CI 1.70-3.26; app-supporting: aOR 3.1, 95% CI 2.04-4.82). Furthermore, the likelihood of supporting the mobile app increased with age over 60 years (aOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.13-3.22), trust in political representatives (aOR 2.7, 95% CI 1.72-4.23), feeling concerned about the pandemic situation (aOR 2.2, 95% CI 1.47-3.32), and knowledge about the transmission of COVID-19 (aOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.39-2.96). CONCLUSIONS The most socioeconomically precarious people, who are at a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, are also the most reluctant to using a contact tracing mobile app. Therefore, optimal adherence can only be effective with a targeted discourse on public health benefits to adopt such an app, which should be combined with a reduction in inequalities by acting on structural determinants.

220 Background: Active surveillance (AS) is an option for low-risk localized prostate cancer and its use is on the rise due to the good long-term oncologic results. However, its impact on the quality of live of patients, particularly in terms of anxiety and emotional responses related to cancer is poorly evaluated. Methods: The french VICAN cohort is a representative sample of 4174 patients treated for cancer and survivors after 5 years. Patient-reported Outcomes (PROs) were collected prospectively by self-questionnaires on quality of live (SF-12) and treatments side effects. Among the 447 patients with prostate cancer, patients managed by active surveillance (AS), radiotherapy (RT), or radical prostatectomy (RP), for localized T1-T2 N0 M0 cancer with a Gleason score < 8 were selected. Data regarding depressive symptoms and percieved anxiety were analysed comparatively. Results: A total of 301 patients were included, among whom 68 (22.6%) managed by AS, 170 (56.5%) treated by RP and 63 (20.9%) treated with RT. Patients treated with AS had a lower clinical stage (p = 0.04) compared with patients in RP and RT groups. Regarding the impact on the quality of live, there was no significant difference in terms of depressive symptoms (no depressive symptoms reported for 82.4% of patients in the AS group vs 88.8% in RP and 74.6% in RT, p = 0.468) or percieved anxiety (no anxiety reported in 63.3% of cases in the AS group vs 71.2% in RP and 66.6% in RT, p = 0.214). Conclusions: Patients managed by AS for localized prostate cancer do not report more depressive symptoms or anxiety than patients treated with curative treatment (RP or RT). This confirms the importance of offering this therapeutic option if the histopathological criteria allow it and if the patient is compliant.

Background Closely linked to the concept of supportive care, the integrated model of palliative care (PC) implies identifying, assessing and treating physical and psychological suffering as early as needed, irrespective of patient characteristics. In France, as in the most southern European countries, little is known about the proportion of cancer patients who have access to PC. Accordingly, we aimed in this study to estimate the proportion of cancer patients in France who have access to inpatient PC, and to explore associated factors. We carried out a nationwide retrospective cohort study using data from the French national health system database (SNDS) for all individuals diagnosed with cancer in 2013 and followed between 2013 and 2016. We compared patients who had inpatient PC with those who did not. Results Of the 313,059 cancer patients included in the national French cancer cohort in 2013, 53,437 (17%) accessed inpatient PC at least once between 2013 and 2016, ranging from 2% in survivors to 56% in the deceased population. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that women and younger patients (18–49 years old) were less likely to access inpatient PC while patients with a greater number of comorbidities, metastatic cancer, or cancer of the nervous system, were more likely to have done so. Conclusions A negligible proportion of cancer survivors accessed inpatient PC. More research and training are needed to convince healthcare providers, patients, and families about the substantial benefits of PC, and to promote better integration of PC and oncology.

Little is known about cancer survivors&rsquo, sexual health (SH)&mdash, particularly, from well after diagnosis and in cancers unrelated to sexuality. This study aimed to assess SH deterioration five years after diagnosis. We analyzed data from the French national VIe apr&egrave, s le CANcer (VICAN) survey. Six items from the Relationship and Sexuality Scale were used to assess SH. Respondents were grouped according to an ascending hierarchical classification in four clusters: strong, moderate, and weak deterioration or stable (WD, SD, MD, or St). Out of 2195 eligible participants, 57.3% reported substantial SH deterioration as either SD (30.8%) or MD (26.5%), while WD and St accounted for 31.2% and 11.5% of respondents, respectively. Substantial deterioration was reported in all cancer sites (from 27.7% in melanoma to 83.1% in prostate). Treatment type, cancer sequelae, and pain, as well as psychological consequences (depression and anxiety, especially for younger patients) were associated with substantial SH deterioration. The same factors were identified after restricting the analysis to survivors of cancers unrelated to sexuality. Five years after diagnosis, the majority of cancer survivors reported SH deterioration. Interventions should be developed to improve SH regardless of cancer site. Particular attention should be paid to depression and anxiety, especially in younger survivors.

International audience; Purpose: Despite the benefits of adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) for reducing recurrence and mortality risks after hormone-sensitive breast cancer, AET adherence is sub-optimal for a high proportion of women. However, little is known about long-term patterns of AET adherence over the minimally recommended 5 years. Our objectives were to: (1) identify 5-year AET adherence trajectory groups; (2) describe trajectory groups according to adherence measures traditionally used (i.e., Proportion of Days Covered); and (3) explore factors associated with trajectories.Methods: We conducted a 5-year cohort study using data from a French national study that included AET dispensing data. Women diagnosed with first non-metastatic breast cancer and having at least 1 AET dispensing in the 12 months after diagnosis were included. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify adherence trajectory groups by clustering similar patterns of monthly AET dispensing. Multinomial logistic regressions were used to identify factors associated with trajectories.Results: Among 674 women, five AET adherence trajectory groups were identified: (1) quick decline and stop (5.2% of women); (2) moderate decline and stop (6.4%); (3) slow decline (17.2%); (4) high adherence (30.0%); and (5) maintenance of very high adherence (41.2%). Mean 5-year Proportion of Days Covered varied from 10 to 97% according to trajectories. Women who did not receive chemotherapy or a personalized care plan were more likely to belong to trajectories where AET adherence declined and stopped.Conclusion: Our results provide information on the diversity of longitudinal AET adherence patterns, the timing of decline and discontinuation and associated factors that could inform healthcare professionals.

Additional file 6. Kaplan–Meier curves of the cumulative probability of accessing PC by comorbidity.

Additional file 1. Treatments delivered since cancer diagnosis (2013–2016).

Additional file 3. Kaplan–Meier curves of the cumulative probability of accessing PC by age.

Additional file 4. Kaplan–Meier curves of the cumulative probability of accessing PC site by gender.

Background Long‐term medico‐social follow‐up of cancer survivors is a challenge because of frequent subsequent troubles. In particular survivors with lower health literacy (HL) have poorer health and might more often use primary care services. However, the impact of HL on cancer survivors’ medico‐social follow‐up visits is not known. Our aim was to study medico‐social follow‐up and its associated determinants with a focus on HL 5 years after diagnosis. Methods VICAN is a national survey of French adult cancer survivors 5 years after a primary cancer. The Single‐Item Literacy Screener was used to define functional HL in this sample. We also asked patients to report the frequency of follow‐up visits with a general practitioner (GP) and/or social worker (SW) regarding their cancer disease. Results The 4045 participants were 57.4 ± 12.9 years old at diagnosis (range 20‐82) and 1495 (37%) were classified as having inadequate HL. Most cancer survivors (66.7%) were followed up by a GP regarding their cancer while only 14.5% had contact with a SW. After adjustment for sociodemographic, medical, and psychosocial characteristics, medico‐social follow‐ups (GP and SW visits) were more frequent among survivors with low HL. Furthermore, low income, unemployment, impaired mental health, treatment by chemotherapy, and perception of sequelae and fatigue were also associated with more frequent medico‐social follow‐up. Cancer localization association with medico‐social follow‐up was heterogeneous. Conclusion French cancer survivors with limited HL, lower socioeconomic status, and more severe cancer were more likely to use GP care and social services. Raising awareness and training GPs and SWs on medico‐social follow‐up for patients with limited HL seem necessary to support these vulnerable survivors., Among French cancer survivors, 37% had a limited health literacy level. They were more likely to use GP care and social services. Raising awareness and training general practitioners and social workers on medico‐social follow‐up for patients with limited health literacy seem necessary to support these vulnerable survivors.

The disclosure of genetic information is an important issue in cancer prevention. This study based on a French national cohort of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers (GENEPSO-PS cohort, N=233) aimed to asses...

Additional file 7. Kaplan–Meier curves of the cumulative probability of PC access by deprivation level.

Additional file 2. Factors independently associated with Palliative Care access.

International audience; Objectives: Shared decision-making (SDM) in health care is widely encouraged. However, for SDM to occur patients need to be able to obtain, understand and apply medical information. Our aim was to assess the relationship between health literacy (HL), numeracy and SDM (using French translations of validated measures). Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a self-administered online questionnaire was proposed to all members of the Seintinelles association. Several scales were used to measure HL (FCCHL and 3HLQ/SILS), numeracy (SNS-3), the SDM process (CollaboRATE) and explore their interrelationships. Results: Data from 2 299 respondents (96.7% women, 46.1% with a history of cancer) were analysed. All measurement scales showed adequate psychometric properties. Functional HL, communicative HL and numeracy were positively associated with SDM while no significant relation was observed between critical HL and SDM. Furthermore, perceived difficulties in asking physicians' questions and deprivation were negatively associated with SDM. Conclusion: Patient support to reach SDM requires high levels of HL, particularly in the functional and communicative domains. Efforts must be made to improve access and understanding of health information. Practice implications: Brief self-reported measures could be used to screen for low levels of health literacy, tailor information accordingly and improve patient involvement in healthcare decision-making.

Context Chronic pain (CP) is a major concern in cancer survivors. Often under-reported by patients, it is both underassessed and undertreated by care providers. Objectives To assess CP prevalence and related treatment in cancer survivors five years after diagnosis and to identify factors associated with prescribing opioids among survivors with CP, focusing on access to palliative care (PC). Methods In 2015–2016, we interviewed 4174 French patients diagnosed with cancer five years previously. Combining patient-reported and clinical-reported outcomes together with medicoadministrative data, we studied factors associated with Step II and Step III opioid prescriptions in cancer survivors with CP. We performed multinomial logistic regression adjusting for various covariates, including self-reported health status variables and inpatient PC. Results Five years after cancer diagnosis, 63.5% of the respondents reported current CP (i.e., pain lasting three months or more). Of these, 64.6% and 14.4% were prescribed at least one Step II or Step III opioid, respectively. Only 1.9% had had inpatient PC since diagnosis. After adjustment for age, gender, clinical and self-reported variables, we found that the latter were more likely to receive Step III opioids (adjusted relative risk ratio 5.33; 95% CI 1.15, 24.58). Conclusion This study showed a high prevalence of CP five years after cancer diagnosis. Step III opioids were underprescribed but positively associated with inpatient PC. PC access in France remains limited, especially among cancer survivors. Integrating PC in oncology is essential to provide the best cancer-related symptoms management.

International audience; Worldwide, around 18 million people receive a cancer diagnosis each year, most of whom survive long enough to face additional cancer-related costs. In France, most costs directly related to cancer are covered by the National Health Insurance Fund, and cancer patients can receive treatments without paying advance fees. In this context, the costs faced by cancer survivors are mostly social costs. Drawing on fundamental cause theory, this study aimed to explore the socially-differentiated evolution of cancer survivor's income five years after diagnosis. Our study draws on the findings of VICAN5, a French national survey that was conducted in 2015/2016 in a representative sample of 4,174 cancer survivors to obtain information on living conditions five years after diagnosis, and that was restricted to 12 tumour sites accounting for 88% of global cancer incidence in France. We used the multiple imputation method and the Heckman selection model to identify the factors associated with a decrease in household income per consumption unit (HICU), while accounting for missing data. Among survivors still working five years after diagnosis, 17.6% reported lower income at survey than at diagnosis. After adjustment for socio-demographic and medical characteristics, the decrease in HICU was more frequent in women, singles, low educated survivors, and survivors with reduced working time. Finally, subjective measures of income variation and economic well-being were a useful complement to objective measures since 31.6% of cancer survivors still working five years after diagnosis reported a perceived decrease in household income. In conclusion, inequalities in economic well-being persist long after diagnosis in France, and this despite the fact that most cancer-related costs are covered by the French National Health Insurance Fund. Consequently, more attention should be paid to cancer patients with low socio-economic status to help reduce inequalities in post-diagnosis living conditions.

The disclosure of genetic information is an important issue in cancer prevention. This study based on a French national cohort of

The prostate cancer impacts on the future life of survivors. The complexity of sexual health problems in prostate cancer survivors is underestimated or often reduced to the erectile dysfunction. Especially, factors influencing sexual desire of patients have to be more explored. This study aims to describe the therapeutic management of patients with prostate cancer and assess their sexual desire 2 years after diagnosis. This study is part of the National VICAN survey (Vie apres le CANcer) implemented in France in 2012. This analysis was performed on a population of 414 men who had prostate cancer. The questionnaire dealt with several topics including socioeconomic status, treatments received, and sexual desire. Prostatectomy (42.8%), radiotherapy + hormonotherapy (17.6%), and radiotherapy alone (12.8%) were the main treatments used. 41.3% of men stated that their sexual desire was all gone since disease. The “satisfying” perceived financial situation was significantly associated to a sexual desire loss (p = 0.008). Radiotherapy + hormonotherapy treatment only is significantly associated with a loss of sexual desire (P = 0.003). Two years after diagnosis, the sexual desire of prostate cancer survivors is deteriorated with the cancer experience. However, clinical characteristics do not seem to be decisive unlike a “satisfying” financial situation. Research about the impact of socio economics characteristics on sexual health should probably be engaged. Programs have to be developed in France to have personalized sexual support progressed for survivors and take spouses into consideration in this context.

Given the chronicity of cancer, its related treatments and sequalae, more attention has been paid to questioning the living conditions of cancer survivors. In the early 2000s, research have highlighted the occupational difficulties faced by cancer survivors in the first two years after diagnosis. In the line of these, this article aims to provide clinicians with information on the situation within the five years following cancer diagnosis, based on results of the VICAN5 survey. We explored three main themes: the differences between salaried and self-employed workers, the main sequelae related to the disease or the treatments, having an impact on the working lives of people concerned, and finally, the workstation layouts and their effect on job retention. The main objective is to make clinicians, who may be involved in supporting professionally active patients, aware of the difficulties that these later may encounter. Clinicians need to keep in mind the specific constraint faced by self-employed individuals since they are more likely to reduce their sick leave for financial reasons or for the functioning of their company. They also need to pay more attention to the patient-reported sequalae in order to ensure an adequate care, especially for fatigue and chronic neuropathic pain that can strongly affect his/her professional life. Finally, the clinician who is aware of the effectiveness of workstation layouts will be able to inform and to support his/her patient more precisely., REPRISE DE L’ACTIVITÉ PROFESSIONNELLE APRÈS UN CANCER La chronicisation de la maladie de cancer, des traitements afférents et des séquelles associées conduisent à interroger les conditions de vie des personnes atteintes. Des recherches réalisées au début des années 2000 font état des difficultés professionnelles rencontrées par les personnes traitées pour un cancer dans les deux premières années après le diagnostic. Dans leur prolongement, cet article propose d’informer les cliniciens sur ce qui se passe au cours des 5 années suivant un diagnostic de cancer à l’appui des résultats de l’enquête VICAN5. Trois thématiques sont particulièrement investiguées : les différences entre travailleurs salariés et non salariés, les principales séquelles liées à la maladie ou aux traitements ayant un impact sur l’emploi des personnes diagnostiquées et, enfin, les dispositifs d’aménagement du travail et leur effet sur le maintien en emploi. L’objectif principal est de sensibiliser les professionnels, pouvant être amenés à accompagner des patients professionnellement actifs atteints de cancer, aux difficultés que ces derniers pourraient rencontrer. Ils doivent garder à l’esprit les contraintes spécifiques des travailleurs indépendants qui sont plus souvent amenés à réduire leurs arrêts de travail pour des raisons financières et relatives au fonctionnement de l’entreprise. Ils doivent également être attentifs aux séquelles décrites par le patient afin de garantir une meilleure prise en charge notamment de la fatigue et des douleurs neuropathiques chroniques susceptibles d’altérer de façon majeure sa vie professionnelle. Enfin, le praticien informé de l’efficacité des dispositifs d’aménagement du travail pourra mieux informer et conseiller son patient.

International audience; PURPOSE:The purpose of this study was to assess the use of non-conventional medicine (NCM) in a representative sample of French patients 2 years after cancer diagnosis.METHODS:The study was based on data obtained in the VICAN survey (2012) on a representative sample of 4349 patients 2 years after cancer diagnosis. Self-reported data were collected at telephone interviews with patients. The questionnaire addressed the various types of non-conventional treatments used at the time of the survey.RESULTS:Among the participants, 16.4% reported that they used NCM, and 45.3% of this group had not used NCM before cancer diagnosis (new NCM users). Commonly, NCMs used were homeopathy (64.0%), acupuncture (22.1%), osteopathy (15.1%), herbal medicine (8.1%), diets (7.3%) and energy therapies (5.8%). NCM use was found to be significantly associated with younger age, female gender and a higher education level. Previous NCM use was significantly associated with having a managerial occupation and an expected 5-year survival rate ≥80% at diagnosis; recent NCM use was associated with cancer progression since diagnosis, impaired quality of life and higher pain reports.CONCLUSION:This is the first study on NCM use 2 years after cancer diagnosis in France. In nearly half of the NCM users, cancer diagnosis was one of the main factors which incited patients to use NCM. Apart from the NCM users' socioeconomic profile, the present results show that impaired health was a decisive factor: opting for unconventional approaches was therefore a pragmatic response to needs which conventional medicine fails to meet during the course of the disease.IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS:Better information of patients and caregivers is needed to allow access to these therapies to a larger population of survivors.

International audience; Breast cancer affects mostly older women but there are no guidelines especially devoted to adjuvant chemotherapy for this population. In this context, this study was carried out in a population-based cohort of French elderly women with breast cancer, to check adherence to the existing national guidelines according to the women's age, taking into account the evolution of the situation over time for women requiring chemotherapy. Between October 2006 and December 2008, all consecutive women included in the French Health registry for a biopsy-proven primary nonmetastatic breast cancer, aged 65-80 years at diagnosis, and living in South Eastern France, were asked to participate in a cohort study. Medical information was collected from physicians. The study population was restricted to the 223 women who were recommended adjuvant chemotherapy according to national guidelines. Those who received chemotherapy were compared to those who did not receive this treatment. Among these 223 women 55% had received chemotherapy. Only three women refused the treatment. Less than 8% have had a geriatric assessment before treatment decision and only two were proposed to participate in a clinical trial. After adjustment for comorbidity score, tumor characteristics, socio-demographic characteristics, and year of diagnosis, increasing patient age was independently associated with decreased guideline concordance for adjuvant chemotherapy. Women aged 75-80 years received chemotherapy more than four times less often than women aged 65-74 years. However, the percentage of women who received chemotherapy increased from 33% to 58% between 2006 and 2008, in parallel with the setting up of Onco-Geriatric Coordination Units in the area. In France, chronological age remains a barrier to receive chemotherapy for older breast cancer women but the establishment of a formal collaboration between oncologists and geriatricians seems to be an effective way to improve care delivery in this population.