A survey of cancer patients’ rehabilitation therapy needs in Southwest China.

e18003 Background: Medical advance in the recent decades has turned cancer into a chronic disease. At the same time, quality of life (LoF) during the treatment period has emerged as a new concern of cancer patients. Rehabilitation therapy, which can help patients conquer fear and be more engaged in the process, has gradually attracted more attentions in China. We designed a survey, for both the cancer patients and their families, to understand their view of the rehabilitation therapy. Methods: We sent paper-based surveys to volunteers consisted of cancer patients and their families. Majority of patients are from 10 cancer centers at the southwest region of China. The main cancer types are lung cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer. The survey questions focus on: patients and their families’ engagement of the treatment, their view on rehabilitation therapy, and their method preference for the rehabilitation therapy. Results: We sent 2,000 copies of the survey and received 1,920 valid inputs. Below are the key findings. 1. Their biggest concern: the outcome of the treatment 55.8%, side effects 19.7%, financial burden 12.8% and mental stress 11.5%. 2. The importance of the rehabilitation therapy as compared to traditional medical treatment, such as surgery and chemotherapy: equally important 67.8%, less important 17.7%, more important 10.1%, no preference 4.4%. 3. The necessity of rehabilitation therapy: very necessary 65.7%, somewhat necessary 22.7%, not necessary 11.6%. 4. The first three reasons for participating rehabilitation therapy: it helped go through the treatment 42.8%, it improved quality of life 31.6% and it helped release their mental stress 22.3%. 5. The best form to conduct rehabilitation therapy: face-to-face communicate with the doctors 60.6%, telecommunication 15.8% and combination of both 22.1%. Conclusions: The results of the survey strongly indicate the demands for rehabilitation therapy. Patients started to understand it – more than half of them think it is as important as the traditional medical treatment. Patients’ quality of life and mental health, which is part of the holistic treatment, are gradually recognized. Next, we plan to group our survey results by types of cancers, patients and their families’ genders and age, as well as the local economics, to better understand the data. We hope this study can serve as a data point to help build China’s rehabilitation therapy infrastructure.