Unmet needs in immigrant cancer survivors: a cross-sectional population-based study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Cancer survivorship presents unique challenges for immigrants due to social, linguistic, and cultural factors.
• Understanding unmet needs is crucial for equitable cancer care.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated these disparities in a population-based Australian context.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and quantify unmet needs among first-generation immigrant cancer survivors.
• To determine factors associated with these unmet needs.
• To compare needs between immigrant and Anglo-Australian cancer survivors.

Main Methods:

• A population-based study recruited cancer survivors diagnosed 1-6 years prior.
• Immigrant participants were first-generation individuals speaking Arabic, Chinese, or Greek.
• Anglo-Australian cancer survivors served as the control group.

Main Results:

• Immigrant cancer survivors reported significantly higher unmet needs for information/support (OR 5.1 for Chinese, OR 2.0 for Greek) and physical help (OR 3.1 for Chinese, OR 2.7 for Greek) compared to Anglo-Australians.
• Key unmet needs included access to written information and healthcare professionals fluent in their language.
• Arabic-speaking immigrants showed elevated, though not statistically significant, unmet needs.

Conclusions:

• Immigrant cancer survivors experience greater unmet information and physical needs long after diagnosis.
• There is a strong demand for culturally appropriate and linguistically tailored cancer information and support services.
• Addressing these disparities is essential for improving cancer care equity.