Survivorship care planning needs in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

e20703 Background: Cancer survivorship care plans inform and direct care in the survivorship setting. These care plans should be tailored to individual medical information, needs, and circumstances, as providing excess information can be overwhelming. According to survivors of DLBCL, what are important components of care plans? METHODS: We developed a 22-question survey to define and rate important survivorship health and psychosocial concerns; items were developed based upon literature review and experience in survivorship clinics. Through the tumor registry, 178 patients were identified who had been treated with curative intent (including stem cell transplant) without evidence of recurrence since 1/2006 and who continue to receive care at Duke University Medical Center. RESULTS: Sixty-five survivors consented and returned a completed IRB approved survey (response rate 37%). Responders: 58% female, 88% white, and 75% from North Carolina, with mean age at diagnosis of 59.7 years; 42% had stage four disease at diagnosis and 12% had had a transplant. The majority of survey participants (62%) indicated that they preferred their oncologist and primary care provider to jointly manage their survivorship care. On a 1-10 scale, the top scoring issue (mean 9.67) was "A plan to screen for possible return of your cancer." Other top scoring issues (mean 8.81 - 9.48) related to cancer history (treatment, complications, stage or late effects) and non-cancer health monitoring. The lowest scoring needs related to social support, sexuality, financial/legal issues, alternative medicine, and mental health services (mean 5.45 - 7.12). There was greater agreement among responders on the importance ratings of the higher scoring issues than the lower scoring ones (standard deviation 1.01 - 2.34 vs. 3.18 - 3.56). CONCLUSIONS: DLBCL survivors prefer care plans focused on medical issues, and health care coordinated jointly by oncologists and primary care physicians. The lower importance of psychosocial issues and alternative medicine in this population differs from survivors of other cancers, underscoring the importance of tailoring care plans by cancer subgroup. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Duke Scholars

Author Daphne Ruth Friedman Medicine, Medical Oncology

Author James Emmett Herndon II Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Division of Biostatistics