Abstract PO-009: Cancer-related distress among multiple myeloma patients during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background: The rapid outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to the delay of non-urgent or routine medical appointments, placing tremendous burden on cancer patients. Meanwhile, the emotional effect of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on high-risk groups, such as multiple myeloma (MM) patients, remains unclear. The purpose of this project was to understand psychosocial distress and unmet needs among patients with active MM during the acute phase of social distancing and COVID-19 impact in the United States. Methods: We utilized HealthTree (healthtree.org) and invited patients with active MM cancer or precursor conditions to participate in an online survey curated through a partnership with the Cancer Support Community (CSC). Participants were asked to rate their level of concern (Not at All to Very Seriously) on 12 items assessing psychosocial, practical, and physical needs (selected from CSC’s CancerSupportSource® distress screening tool) during the COVID-19 pandemic. De-identified responses were aggregated and reviewed. The survey was determined to be exempt by the Western Institutional Review Board. Results: 1,079 MM pts participated in the survey between April 15, 2020 and June 8, 2020. The percentages of patients responding moderately to very seriously concerned are reported here. Eating and nutrition (71%), sleep problems (49%), pain and/or physical discomfort (46%), and feeling too tired to do the things you need or want to do (44%) made up the physical/health concerns. Psychosocial/emotional concerns included worrying about the future and what lies ahead (46%), worry about family, children, and/or friends (44%), feeling irritable (37%), feeling sad or depressed (30%), feeling nervous or afraid (25%), feeling lonely or isolated (20%), and relationship problems with your spouse/partner (11%). Finally, 32% reported insurance or money concerns. Conclusions: Respondents to our survey were most concerned with eating and nutrition, sleep problems, pain and/or physical discomfort, and worrying about the future. Informing patients and medical professionals of physical and psychosocial distress experienced by patients could create a unified approach to decreasing distress levels and increase patient overall health, even during a pandemic or when care is delayed. Patient-reported surveys via an online portal, like HealthTree, can help investigators assess the patient community and result in hypothesis-generating research questions to enhance patient outcomes. Citation Format: Nathan W. Sweeney, Jenny Ahlstrom. Cancer-related distress among multiple myeloma patients during the COVID-19 pandemic [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Meeting: COVID-19 and Cancer; 2020 Jul 20-22. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2020;26(18_Suppl):Abstract nr PO-009.

Psychological Distress Among Cancer Patients During COVID-19 Pandemic in the World: A Systematic Review

“…COVID-19 greatly affects not only the physical health, but also the psychological health of people (Ornell et al, 2020 ; Sweeney and Ahlstrom, 2020 ; Sun and Li, 2021 ; Wong et al, 2021 ). Fear and anxiety are the psychological response of many people to COVID-19 pandemic, including cancer patients, and these people experience a significant psychological burden at the current time.…”

“…The results of a retrospective study of 160 patients with or suspected of breast cancer showed that COVID-19 related anxiety could discourage treatment (Vanni et al, 2020 ). A survey of 1,079 patients with multiple myeloma showed that they have concern about the future and events ahead, worries about family, friends and relatives, and also have paternal irritation, feelings of sadness, anger, fear, loneliness, and problems communicating with their spouses during the COVID-19 pandemic (Sweeney and Ahlstrom, 2020 ).…”

Teaching and Learning Continuity Amid and Beyond the Pandemic

“…The concerns raised by the participants of the study require the university to provide access to considerable support to deal with the struggles, challenges, and even trauma because of the pandemic. There is a need to help manage mental health, selfesteem, and relationships after the quarantine which left some of the students isolated for quite a time (Sweeney, 2020). Mental health programs have to be in place in formal learning settings.…”

HealthTree Cure Hub: A Patient-Derived, Patient-Driven Clinical Cancer Information Platform Used to Overcome Hurdles and Accelerate Research in Multiple Myeloma

“…22 Therefore, HealthTree Cure Hub practices a patient-input and medical consultant-verified approach to maximize the potential for population-based analyses and to draw reliable conclusions. As a result, we have published nine abstracts, seven to ASCO [23][24][25][26][27][28][29] and two to the American Association of Cancer Research, 30,31 and published one peer-reviewed manuscript in Dermatologic Therapy, 18 with others in preparation.…”