Assessment of Cancer Chemotherapy Needs in Patients Attending Tertiary Care Cancer Center, q: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Globally, 19.3 million new cancer cases were diagnosed in 2020, with over 10.0 million cancer deaths. Patients with cancer often face various long-term physical, social, financial, psychological, and existential challenges, complicating their survivorship. Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the different needs of patients undergoing chemotherapy at a tertiary care cancer center. Materials and Methods Data were collected from a tertiary care cancer center using purposive sampling. A total of 101 samples were collected over a 2-month period. Results The majority of participants were female (61.4%), with 38.6% being male. Most participants were in the third stage of cancer (57.4%), with 42.6% in the fourth stage. Localized metastasis was observed in 83.2% of participants. The most common symptoms were lack of appetite (59.4%) and nausea/vomiting (54.5%). Most participants rated the care provided by nurses during chemotherapy as good (86.1%). The majority had moderate needs (67.3%) during the treatment course. Conclusion The study highlights significant needs in the physical and psychological domains among patients undergoing chemotherapy.