Socioeconomic position and access to supportive cancer care in Europe: a scoping review of literature from 2000 to 2024.

purposeCancer prevalence is steadily rising in Europe. Many survivors experience symptoms and late effects that require management by supportive care. The inequities related to socioeconomic position (SEP) that have been described for primary anti-cancer treatment are likely to extend to the supportive care domain. This scoping review provides an overview of the existing literature assessing this relationship, and the methods used to do so.

methodsA comprehensive search was executed in May 2024 in multiple databases. Studies published after 2000, including real-world data on access to, uptake of, or adherence to supportive care in relation to SEP were included.

resultsA total of 29 articles were included for review. Studies reported on a variety of supportive care types and were conducted primarily in Northern and Western Europe. Most studies with statistically significant findings (n = 14) reported an association between high SEP and increased access to or uptake of supportive care (n = 12).

conclusionsResearch on the association of SEP with access and uptake of supportive care is increasing but still limited. Methodology varies and is mostly exploratory. The majority of the included studies indicate that socioeconomic differences in engagement with supportive cancer care in Europe persist. More research is needed to explain the causal pathways through which SEP affects engagement with supportive care, and how its accessibility can be improved in different European countries. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Efforts should be made across healthcare systems to improve accessibility to supportive cancer care for patients with a low SEP.