Publications by authors named "S F A Duijts"
Article Synopsis
- Patients with rare cancers experience longer diagnostic delays and fewer treatment options, which can negatively affect their employment status both before and after diagnosis.
- A study comparing 16,203 rare cancer patients to 23,295 common cancer patients found that those with rare cancers were more likely to become work-disabled before diagnosis and more likely to pursue self-employment after diagnosis.
- Younger patients and those on temporary contracts were more likely to transition to self-employment, highlighting the need for improved awareness and care for rare cancer to minimize negative work outcomes.
Background: This study aimed to (1) summarise research on the impact of peer support interventions aimed at improving psychosocial functioning among cancer survivors, and (2) identify key components for developing a support intervention for patients with a rare cancer living in rural, regional or remote areas.
Methods: A comprehensive search of EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library identified papers that examined peer support interventions: (i) for rare cancer patients, or (ii) for those living in rural, regional or remote locations, or (iii) that provided support online or via telehealth. After screening, data on study characteristics, intervention components and impact on psychosocial functioning were extracted.
Background: As the survival proportions for rare cancers are on average worse than for common cancers, assessing the expected remaining life years in good health becomes highly relevant. This study aimed to estimate the healthy life expectancy (HLE) of a subset of rare and common cancer survivors, and to assess the determinants of poor perceived health in rare cancer survivors.
Methods: To calculate HLE, survival data from the population-based Netherlands Cancer Registry of survivors of a rare cancer (i.
Article Synopsis
- Diagnosing rare cancers is tough and often takes a long time, according to a study that examined the experiences of 1541 patients in The Netherlands from GP visits to final diagnoses.
- Most patients (76.0%) started with a GP consultation, and while 76.3% were referred to a hospital within three months, 32.1% received incorrect diagnoses that led to unnecessary treatments.
- The study found significant differences in diagnosis timelines between solid and non-solid tumors, with patients experiencing varying waits; improving research on symptoms and clinical networks could help reduce these delays.
Objective: Providing current, evidence-based information to cancer survivors is critical for informed decision making. People diagnosed with a rare cancer report higher unmet information needs compared to common cancer survivors. However, interventions providing informational support for rare cancers are limited.
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