Abstract 5187
Background
The practice of oncology is challenging, especially when dealing with terminally ill patients and end of life. This is not without an emotional impact on oncologists, with potential negative effect on patient care and personal lives. We aimed to outline the main factors that makes of patients’ death an emotionally difficult experience, and to identify practical coping strategies.
Methods
An online survey was completed by 128 oncologists from three North African countries and France, on March-April 2019. All surveys were anonymous and confidential. The questionnaire included socio-demographic information, and sections about patients’ death and coping strategies.
Results
Most respondents were female (83.5%) and young oncologists (20-40 years-old), with less than 10 years professional experience (85.3%), but seeing more than 50 patients per week, and experiencing 0-2 deaths per month. They were mostly from Tunisia (n = 99), Morocco (n = 25), Algeria (n = 2) and France (n = 2). The majority was medical oncologists (57.9%), then radiation oncologists (29.4%). More than two-thirds of the oncologists reported that young age, long-term relationship and family denial towards the prognosis were the main factors making death or therapeutic failure announcement the most difficult. Unexpected evolution leading to death, and the non-access to more effective treatment in our countries had an emotional impact on 70% of the oncologists. A variety of coping strategies was identified: mainly peer support from colleagues and/or family and friends (53.5%), practicing hobbies (39.4%), seeking support in praying and faith (26.3%). Addictive behavior and/or medications were reported in 9.1%, significantly in single respondents (p 0.051). A majority (n = 83) reported a change in their character noticed by their families since the practice of oncology. The oncologists expressed becoming better able to set priorities (48%), more humble and human (61.4%) and motivated to improve their quality of health care (33.9%).
Conclusions
Dealing with patients’ death and confronting therapeutic failure have obviously an effect on oncologists’ personal life. We need to be aware of this issue, and to propose different coping strategies and interventions.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
The authors.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Resources from the same session
3409 - Effect and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors for brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer
Presenter: Toshihiko Iuchi
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
3683 - Impact of Radiotherapy on efficacy of anti-programmed death 1 (PD-1) antibodies in metastatic NSCLC
Presenter: Evangeline Samuel
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
3924 - Pembrolizumab frontline monotherapy in patients with NSCLC and high PD-L1 expression: Real World Data from a European Cohort with focus on subgroups of interest
Presenter: Giannis Mountzios
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
3970 - Patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer and PD-L1 expression in Germany. Treatment and first outcome from the prospective German Registry Platform CRISP (AIO-TRK-0315)
Presenter: Martin Sebastian
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
5350 - The efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab as a first-line therapy in PD-L1 50% positive advanced NSCLC (HOPE-001)
Presenter: Motohiro Tamiya
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
3832 - Osimertinib in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) T790M advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): analysis of patients with central nervous system (CNS) metastases in a real-world study (ASTRIS)
Presenter: Giulio Metro
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
4082 - Real-world (RW) treatment patterns and outcomes for second-line (2L) therapy and beyond in patients (pts) with epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated (EGFRm) advanced NSCLC receiving a first-line (1L) first- or second-generation (1G/2G) EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)
Presenter: Riyaz Shah
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
2855 - Impact of ramucirumab (RAM) + erlotinib (ERL) on EGFR mutations in circulating tumor DNA – The 1st report of a biomarker study in Japanese patients from RELAY: Global Ph3 study of ERL + RAM or placebo (PL) in 1L metastatic NSCLC with EGFR activating mutations
Presenter: Kazuto Nishio
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
2911 - Apatinib combined with EGFR - TKI in treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR - TKI resistance
Presenter: Ruifen Tian
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
2100 - Updated analysis of a phase I trial of afatinib (Afa) and bevacizumab (Bev) in chemo-naïve patients (pts) with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring EGFR-mutations: OLCSG1404
Presenter: Takashi Ninomiya
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract