CANCER PATIENTS' EXPERIENCE OF CANCER CARE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN THE FRENCHSPEAKING PART OF SWITZERLAND: A MIXED-METHOD STUDY

Introduction Literature on the impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients pointed towards an increase in uncertainty, anxiety, fear and distress. Our aim was to analyze cancer patient-reported experiences through a qualitative approach to identify their potential concerns, needs and resources during the pandemic and to evaluate their levels of distress and resilience. Methods Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted after the second wave, March to July 2021, with cancer patients from three hospitals in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Transcripts were analyzed using an iterative thematic analysis approach. Quantitative data included measurement of distress and resilience by the NCCN distress thermometer and the 2-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Results Patients with lung, breast, colon cancer or melanoma were included (n=35). Mean distress score was 2 (SD=2.1) and mean resilience score was 6.7 (SD=1.3). Thematic analysis highlighted five themes evoking changes in life, concerns, cancer care, resources and vaccination. Conclusions Cancer patients from the French-speaking part of Switzerland reported relatively low distress and high resilience. Nevertheless, interviews revealed COVID-related elements having an influence on patients' lives and trajectory of care. These results allow for a better understanding of the cancer patients' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland and provide suggestions for better support.

GLOBAL REPORTING OF DISTRESS AND RESILIENCE IN CANCER PATIENTS DURING DIFFERENT PHASES OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A RAPID REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Introduction Cancer patients have experienced higher rates of distress than the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to provide a thorough overview of studies assessing distress and resilience reflecting distinct temporal and geographical characteristics of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A search was conducted through PubMed to identify studies that measured distress and/or resilience in cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Information about each study's country, instruments, data collection period, and scores were extracted by two researchers as part of an analysis of approaches to capture cancer patients' experiences. Reports of daily new cases per country were retrieved from the WHO database. Results We identified 13 studies that assessed distress and/or resilience from 10 countries. The Distress thermometer (n=9) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (n=3) were the most common measures. Data collection ranged from December 2019 to August 2021, with 7 studies conducted during the first wave (March-July 2020), 4 between July 2020- March 2021, and 2 after June 2021. Overall, the highest scores of distress were seen in the first phase of the pandemic and resilience scores were similar to the mean score described for cancer patients. Conclusions Distress values might be influenced by temporal and local circumstances. Due to the disparate evolution of the pandemic across countries, special attention should be given to describing the specific context when reporting psycho-social data.