Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39903305›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2025

Care for patients with cancer and substance use disorders: a qualitative study of oncology team experiences.

Sachin S Kale, Laura J Rush, Jennifer L Eramo, Mireille Bitangacha, Sadie Chen, Devon K Check, Katie Fitzgerald Jones, Jessica Merlin, Ann Scheck McAlearney

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

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. Substance use monitoring in supportive oncology: surveillance is not a clinical outcome, and policing is not a therapeutic framework.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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

9 authors.

Sachin S KaleDivision of Palliative Medicine, Department of Internal medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 1581 Dodd Drive, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. Sachin.Kale@osumc.edu.
Laura J RushThe Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking in Health Services and Implementation Science Research (CATALYST), College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, 700 Ackerman Road, Suite 4100, Columbus, OH, 43202, USA.
Jennifer L EramoThe Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking in Health Services and Implementation Science Research (CATALYST), College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, 700 Ackerman Road, Suite 4100, Columbus, OH, 43202, USA.
Mireille BitangachaThe Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking in Health Services and Implementation Science Research (CATALYST), College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, 700 Ackerman Road, Suite 4100, Columbus, OH, 43202, USA.
Sadie ChenThe Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking in Health Services and Implementation Science Research (CATALYST), College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, 700 Ackerman Road, Suite 4100, Columbus, OH, 43202, USA.
Devon K CheckDepartment of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
Katie Fitzgerald JonesNew England Geriatrics Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Boston Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain, MA, USA.
Jessica MerlinDivision of General Internal Medicine, CHAllenges in Managing and Preventing Pain (CHAMPP) Clinical Research Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Ann Scheck McAlearneyThe Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking in Health Services and Implementation Science Research (CATALYST), College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, 700 Ackerman Road, Suite 4100, Columbus, OH, 43202, USA.

Funding

Mentoring the next generation of researchers at the intersection of opioid use disorder and chronic painK24DA056837 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI Megan Hamm, Jessica S Merlin · 2023 to 2026
$771k
NIDA NIH HHS K24 DA056837
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeClinical decisions surrounding cancer care can be complicated by co-occurring substance use disorders (SUDs), particularly with respect to pain management and cancer treatment safety. Yet, few studies have examined oncology teams' experiences treating patients with co-occurring cancer and SUDs. We therefore sought to understand the perspectives of oncology team providers regarding the challenges they face when caring for patients with cancer and SUDs.

methodsWe conducted a qualitative study to understand the experiences of clinicians who have provided cancer care to patients with concurrent SUD. Questions about substances used focused mainly on non-prescribed opioids and stimulants. Individual interviews were conducted in March-July 2023 by telephone or videoconference, recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed rigorously using thematic analysis.

resultsTwenty-seven individuals were interviewed (15 physicians, 8 advanced practice providers, 2 registered nurses, and 2 social workers). Specialties included medical oncology, hematology, radiation oncology, and gynecology oncology. We identified four themes representing the challenges oncology teams face when caring for patients with cancer and SUD: (1) patients' unmet social needs; (2) uncertainty about pain management options; (3) implicit biases about patients with SUDs; and( 4) patients' active substance use.

conclusionOncology teams face many challenges when caring for patients with cancer and SUDs. Understanding these challenges is critical and can both inform the design of interventions for patients with cancer and SUD and guide future research.

Indexed as

NeoplasmsPatient Care TeamSubstance-Related DisordersAdultAttitude of Health PersonnelFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMedical OncologyMiddle AgedPain ManagementQualitative ResearchCancerOpioid use disorderPain managementSubstance use disorder

Identifiers

PMID39903305
PMCPMC11794404

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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 Socratic graph.