Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42178407›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2026

Patient-initiated rehabilitation after radiotherapy: gender and sociodemographic differences despite standardized support - a German retrospective single-center study.

Angela Besserer, Sally Mutiara, Julia Boschan, Michael J Koziol, Stefan Höcht

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Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Angela BessererDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Ernst Von Bergmann Hospital Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany. angela.besserer@klinikumevb.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-6492-0190
Sally MutiaraDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Ernst Von Bergmann Hospital Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
Julia BoschanMedical Social Services, Ernst Von Bergmann Hospital Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
Michael J KoziolDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Ernst Von Bergmann Hospital Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
Stefan HöchtDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Ernst Von Bergmann Hospital Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeOncological rehabilitation improves quality of life and convalescence after cancer therapy yet is not uniformly accessed. While physician referral patterns and structural access barriers are studied, data on patient decision-making under standardized conditions are lacking. This single-center study examines gender and sociodemographic differences in patient-initiated rehabilitation under standardized conditions to eliminate physician selection bias and make patient-side decision processes visible.

methodsFrom January 2024 to December 2025, all patients treated at a radiation oncology department in Brandenburg, Germany received standardized written information about rehabilitation options and uniform support from social services. Patients who initiated rehabilitation were compared with the total cohort regarding gender, age, residence, insurance status, and diagnosis to identify sociodemographic factors in decision-making.

resultsOverall rehabilitation uptake was 17.8% (484/2,727). Females accessed rehabilitation 2.6 times more frequently than males (25.1% vs. 9.6%, p < 0.001). Patients ≤ 65 years had twice the uptake of older patients (25.8% vs. 12.3%, OR = 2.48, 95% CI: 2.03-3.03, p < 0.001). Rural residents showed higher uptake than urban residents (32.0% vs. 15.2%, OR = 2.63, 95% CI: 2.08-3.33, p < 0.001). Statutory health insurance patients had higher uptake than privately insured patients (18.7% vs. 10.4%, OR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.36-2.90, p < 0.001). Rehabilitation uptake varied substantially by tumor entity, with breast cancer showing the highest rates (43.9%). Curative treatment intent strongly predicted uptake (OR = 13.73, 95% CI: 8.87-21.27, p < 0.001).

conclusionEven with standardized information and administrative support, significant gender-specific and sociodemographic differences persist. Barriers extend beyond information deficits to include patient-specific factors requiring targeted interventions to achieve equitable rehabilitation access.

Indexed as

NeoplasmsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAge FactorsDecision MakingFemaleGermanyHumansMaleMiddle AgedQuality of LifeRetrospective StudiesSex FactorsSociodemographic FactorsSocioeconomic FactorsAccess barriersCancer survivorsHealth care disparitiesHealth equityRadiation oncologySex differencesUrban–rural health

Identifiers

PMID42178407

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.