Age-related differences in unmet needs and their predictors among adults with bladder cancer

Bladder cancer disproportionately affects older adults, making addressing age-specific unmet needs essential. Understanding how sociodemographic, clinical, and personal/social resource factors influence unmet needs can help clinicians deliver tailored interventions to improve outcomes.

(1) Examine differences in unmet needs for patients aged <65 and ≥65, and (2) determine sociodemographic, clinical, and personal/social resource factors associated with unmet needs for patients aged <65 and ≥65.

We conducted a cross-sectional study of survey data for adults aged 18 to 85 from the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network. Unmet needs were identified a priori (psychological, health system and information, physical/daily living, patient care/support, sexuality, logistics, communication with a spouse/partner, and communication with clinicians) and assessed using the Bladder Cancer Needs Assessment Scale-32. Univariate analyses and backward model selection were used to identify sociodemographic, clinical, and personal/social resource variables associated with unmet needs for patients <65 and ≥65.

Overall, 155 patients with bladder cancer were included. Patients <65 had more psychological, patient care and support, sexuality, and communication with spouse/partner unmet needs, while patients ≥65 had more health system and information unmet needs. Multivariable analyses revealed significant differences in associations between unmet needs and social support, self-efficacy, and maladaptive coping for each distinct age group. Differences in unmet needs by patient sex emerged, with women experiencing more unmet needs than men in the older group.

Findings underscore the need for tailored supportive care strategies accounting for how age, patient sex, and personal/social resources may impact unmet needs to improve bladder cancer care and outcomes.