ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2026
Data-driven biopsychosocial profiles to inform early psycho-oncology triage in head and neck cancer : A cross-sectional cluster analysis integrating patient-reported outcomes, medical complexity, and early psychosocial care utilization in an interdisciplinary fast-track diagnostic program.
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. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
purposeRapid head and neck cancer (HNC) diagnostic pathways compress assessment and treatment planning into a few days. However, patients differ substantially in their psychological, physical, functional, interpersonal, and medical needs. Single-score distress screening may not capture this heterogeneity.
methodsWe analyzed cross-sectional baseline data from 96 adults assessed within an interdisciplinary 72-h fast-track diagnostic program for suspected or newly diagnosed HNC. Five theory-driven, z-standardized domains (psychological distress, physical burden, functional impairment, interpersonal vulnerability, medical complexity) were derived and clustered with k-means. Psychosocial care contacts within 14 days served as an exploratory external criterion and were not used as clustering inputs.
resultsA three-cluster solution yielded (i) low burden (n = 58, 60.4%), (ii) psychologically distressed (n = 24, 25.0%) with elevated distress and comparatively low medical complexity, and (iii) somatic/functional high burden (n = 14, 14.6%) characterized by prominent physical and functional burden. Psychosocial care utilization differed only modestly across clusters.
conclusionsMultidimensional profiling in this 72-h HNC pathway yielded clinically interpretable subgroups that may inform needs-based supportive and psychosocial care allocation. Because observed utilization did not map strongly onto profiles, prospective validation is required before clinical implementation.
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