Oral Presentation 2025 Joint Meeting of the COSA ASM and IPOS Congress

Rare and Rural: how to increase equity in access to supportive cancer care for people with a rare cancer living rurally (126621)

Evelien Spelten 1 , Saskia Duijts 2 , Laura Hemming 1 , Tamsin Farrugia 1 , Eva Yuen 3 , Christine Cockburn 4 , Nienke Zomerdijk 5 , Maria Veresova 1 , Carlene Wilson 6
  1. Violet Vines Marshman Center for Rural Health Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  2. Rare Cancer Research Group, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisaton, Utrecht, Netherlands
  3. Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  4. Rare Cancers Australia, Bowral, New South Wales, Australia
  5. University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
  6. University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Objective/Purpose: There is inequity in access to supportive cancer care, with certain groups considered underserved. In Australia people diagnose with a rare cancer in Australia often experience heightened challenges throughout their illness journey, including significant psychosocial impacts. These challenges are further compounded for those living in rural, regional, or remote areas, where access to supportive care is particularly limited. This study aimed to: (1) summarise research on the impact of peer support interventions aimed at improving psychosocial functioning among cancer survivors, and (2) identify key components for developing a tailored support intervention for patients with a rare cancer living in rural, regional or remote areas.

Sample and setting: We interviewed 39 people with a rare cancer and 10 healthcare providers to explore key considerations for delivering peer support to this group.

Procedures: In addition to the qualitative interviews, a systematic literature review was conducted to summarise research on the impact of peer support interventions aimed at improving psychosocial functioning of people with cancer.

Results: The literature review showed that the most impactful interventions involved online, group formats facilitated by healthcare professionals. There were limited data on rare cancers and rural populations. Interview participants advocated for a flexible, multicomponent intervention to meet the varied and fluctuating needs of this group. Participants also described challenges with the practical delivery of peer support programs including risk of misinformation, adverse emotional reactions, interpersonal challenges, and implementation issues.

Conclusion and clinical implications: This study highlights the possible role of peer support to address unmet psychosocial needs of rare cancer patients, particularly in rural areas. Results emphasise  the need for of tailored, flexible, and multimodal peer support interventions that not only address diverse needs but also offer clinicians  a much-needed referral point.

  1. Hemming, L., Duijts, S. F. A., Cockburn, C., Wilson, C., Yuen, E. Y. N., & Spelten, E. (2025). What do patients with a rare cancer living in rural, regional or remote areas and stakeholders want from a peer support program? A qualitative study. BMC Cancer, 25(1), 352–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-025-13782-0
  2. Hemming, L., Duijts, S. F. A., Zomerdijk, N., Cockburn, C., Yuen, E., Hardman, R., Van Vuuren, J., Farrugia, T., Wilson, C., & Spelten, E. (2024). A systematic review of peer support interventions to improve psychosocial functioning among cancer survivors: can findings be translated to survivors with a rare cancer living rurally? Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases, 19(1), 473–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13023-024-03477-3