Change trajectories of needs and influencing factors in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: a longitudinal study

ObjectiveTo explore the dynamic change trajectories of disease information needs,psychological needs, and social needs in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy,and to identify the influencing factors for each trajectory category, thereby providing a basis for developing precise clinical interventions.MethodsA convenience sampling method was used to select 146 breast cancer patients undergoing their first chemotherapy session.A longitudinal follow⁃up survey was conducted over eight chemotherapy cycles(T1⁃T8) using the Breast Cancer Patients Needs Scale and the Benefit Finding Scale. Latent class growth modeling was applied to analyze the change trajectories of the three types of needs, and multinomial logistic regression was used to explore the influencing factors of the trajectory categories.ResultsThe three types of needs in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy all showed a declining trend with population heterogeneity:1) Two trajectory categories were identified for disease information needs:low information needs declining group(58.2%) and high information needs declining group(41.8%);2) Three trajectory categories were identified for psychological needs: low psychological needs group(35.6%),moderate psychological needs group(41.8%),and high psychological needs group(22.6%);3) Two trajectory categories were identified for social needs:low social needs group(69.2%) and high social needs group(30.8%).Multivariate analysis showed that surgery and benefit finding were influencing factors for the disease information needs trajectory(both <italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05);comorbidities with other chronic diseases and benefit finding were influencing factors for the psychological needs trajectory(both <italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05);comorbidities with other chronic diseases,metastasis,and benefit finding were influencing factors for the social needs trajectory(all <italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05).ConclusionsThe change trajectories of the three types of needs in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy exhibit population heterogeneity.And they are influenced by different factors.Clinical staff can combine the characteristics of patients' need trajectories and influencing factors to implement targeted interventions, continuously meeting patients' dynamic needs.