Prospective cohort study of unmet supportive care needs, post-traumatic growth, coping strategy and social supports among patients with breast cancer: The PenBCNeeds study.

Purpose: While the unmet healthcare needs are still being improved upon, the wellbeing of cancer patients has increasingly become a prime concern in Malaysia. The objective of this study is to ascertain the trend of unmet supportive care needs, post-traumatic growth (P T G), coping strategies, and social supports among patients with breast cancer over the three time points of treatment: T1 at early diagnosis, T2 for three months after diagnosis, and T3 for six months after diagnosis.

Methods: A total of 240 cancer patients participated in this prospective cohort study, with follow-up visits from October 2019 until July 2021.