Breast and gynecological cancer care needs linked to distress and financial strain

In a prospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study of 234 patients treated in oncology clinics and outpatient units in Turkey, the mean distress score was 7.16 ± 1.88. Lower Financial Toxicity Scale scores were also associated with greater distress and more supportive care needs, linking psychological, financial and practical challenges within the same patient population. Researchers collected data between January and October 2025 from women receiving treatment for breast or gynecological cancer.

They used a Participant Information Form alongside the Financial Toxicity Scale, abbreviated COST; the Short-Form Supportive Care Needs Survey, SCNS-SF 29; the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale; and the Distress Thermometer. The study aimed to identify psychological distress, physical symptoms, financial toxicity and unmet supportive care needs, then examine the relationships among those variables. Its design was descriptive and cross-sectional, so the findings characterize associations rather than changes over time or causal effects.

Psychological distress was positively correlated with overall supportive care needs at r = 0.593, p < 0.001. The correlations with individual needs domains were r = 0.676 for daily life, r = 0.617 for psychology and r = 0.458 for health care services and information, each with p < 0.001. The relationship with sexuality needs was weaker but remained statistically significant, at r = 0.211, p = 0.001.

These measurements show that patients with greater distress tended to report more needs across practical, psychological, informational and sexuality-related dimensions. Financial toxicity showed a parallel pattern. Rather than higher scores, lower COST scores were associated with greater psychological distress and higher unmet supportive care needs.

The reported results therefore connect poorer financial circumstances with both psychological distress and care-related needs. The authors characterized breast and gynecological cancer as a multidimensional condition involving physical symptoms, psychological challenges and economic difficulties rather than a purely physical illness. They also emphasized the role of nurses in identifying distress, symptom burden and financial difficulties and called for routine screening and holistic assessment in clinical practice.

The findings have important scope limits. The sample came from oncology clinics and outpatient units in one country during a defined enrollment period, and the abstract does not provide a detailed breakdown of cancer diagnoses, treatment stages or demographic differences. The cross-sectional design cannot establish whether financial hardship, physical symptoms and unmet needs caused changes in distress or one another.

Even with those limitations, the study reports a broad pattern in this group of 234 women: high distress accompanied by fatigue, anxiety and pain, alongside unmet needs and an association between financial toxicity, psychological distress and supportive care requirements. The authors concluded that multidisciplinary, patient-centered care incorporating psychosocial support and financial counseling is important for addressing these interconnected challenges and quality of life.

Subject of Research: Cross-sectional associations among psychological distress, financial toxicity, physical symptoms and supportive care needs in 234 women receiving breast or gynecological cancer treatment in Turkey

Article Title: Psychological distress, physical symptoms, financial toxicity, and unmet supportive care needs in breast and gynecological cancer patients

Article References: Yildirim, D., Kocatepe, V., & Güngör Tolasa, A. (2026). Psychological distress, physical symptoms, financial toxicity, and unmet supportive care needs in breast and gynecological cancer patients. BMC Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05585-0

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s40359-026-05585-0

Keywords: breast cancer, gynecological cancer, psychological distress, financial toxicity, supportive care needs, physical symptoms, patient-centered care, Turkey, Psychological, distress, physical, symptoms