Unmet psychological and practical needs of patients with cancer in rural and remote areas of Western Australia

Introduction: The financial and psychological impacts of cancer treatment on patients can be severe. Practical issues, such as childcare, medical supplies and obtaining ‘home help’ can impose financial strain on patients and their families, and this is often exacerbated by a simultaneous loss of income if a patient is unable to continue employment during treatment, or if family members become full-time carers. These financial difficulties are often more severe for patients from rural regions because cancer services tend to be concentrated in metropolitan areas, requiring rural patients to relocate or undertake lengthy, frequent commutes to access treatment. The needs of rural cancer patients may differ from and exceed those of metropolitan cancer patients. Because of this, it is important to assess the needs of rural and metropolitan populations to develop appropriate, tailored supportive-care interventions. This article compares the unmet supportive-care needs of rural/remote with metropolitan cancer patients in Western Australia (WA), a large and sparsely populated Australian state with a substantial rural and remote population. This article is part of a larger program of research assessing the supportive-care needs of WA cancer patients.