Researchers sought to establish the prevalence and determinants of poor social outcomes after a diagnosis of colorectal cancer.
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Majority of patients with colorectal cancer do not experience social difficulties
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Although the majority observe no difficulties, a portion of individuals diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) do experience poor social outcomes.
Researchers based at the Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology, University of Leeds, St. James's University Hospital, United Kingdom, sent questionnaires to all 12- to 36-month CRC survivors diagnosed in 2010 or 2011 and treated by the English National Health Service. The questionnaire assessed clinical data, sociodemographic information, and included the Social Difficulties Inventory.
The latter inventory is a 16-item scale of social distress that reviews everyday living conditions, self and others subscales, and related items.
Approximately 82% of the 21,802 respondents completed all social distress items. (Overall response rate of the 34,467 individuals contacted was 63.3%.)
Approximately 15% OF individuals reported experiencing social distress. Multivariable analysis indicated that having three or more long-term conditions was a strong precursor to social distress.
It was determined that the majority of individuals diagnosed with CRC experience no social distress, and that the risk factors (clinical and otherwise) can be used to target support for those who are more likely to experience social difficulties.
