Abstract Background: Health-related social needs (HRSNs), such as food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation barriers, are non-medical drivers of adverse health outcomes, including distress. Cross-sectional studies show that approx. 35-45% of cancer patients in North America experience significant distress, with rates as high as 60% for advanced cancer patients. This makes it crucial to address problems like HRSNs, which can worsen distress and health outcomes. While financial toxicity has been widely documented in oncology, other HRSNs remain understudied, particularly regarding emotional, psychological, and psychosocial distress. This scoping review synthesizes global literature investigating the relationship between HRSNs and distress among cancer patients and survivors. Methods: We conducted a scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, searching PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane (2010–2024). We included peer-reviewed studies assessing the relationship between at least one HRSN (food, housing, or transportation) and distress outcomes among cancer patients or survivors. Data extraction included study characteristics, measurement tools, HRSN prevalence, and distress outcomes. Quantitative and qualitative studies were appraised using Newcastle-Ottawa and COREQ, respectively. Results: Among 857 articles screened, 13 studies met the inclusion criteria, representing the United States (8), Australia (2), Ireland (1), Mexico (1), and the United Kingdom (1). Transportation was the most frequently researched HRSN (n=11), with one study reporting a prevalence rate of 42% in Mexico. Housing instability was assessed in 7 studies, with reported rates of 2% to 49%, and food insecurity was included in 4 U.S.-based studies, with reported rates of 13% to 33%. The NCCN Distress Thermometer was the most used instrument to assess both HRSNs (n=6) and distress (n=7). Psychological distress was the most frequently assessed outcome domain (n=9), followed by psychosocial (n=8), and emotional (n=2). Nearly all studies (92%) found that HRSNs increased distress, particularly transportation barriers and housing instability. Food insecurity also led to difficult decisions between basic needs and medical care, further exacerbating distress faced by cancer patients and their caregivers. All included studies demonstrated a consistent pattern where patients with food, housing, or transportation needs experienced significantly higher distress levels across countries and cancer types. Conclusion: HRSNs are consistently associated with elevated distress in diverse cancer populations. Screening tools for distress should be expanded to include assessments of unmet social needs. Integrating non-medical interventions such as transportation vouchers, housing aid, and food support may reduce distress and improve cancer health outcomes. Future research should prioritize caregiver experiences, low- and middle-income representation, and standardized measurement approaches to build equitable, patient-centered cancer care systems. Citation Format: Vivian H. Tran, Suraj M. Rajan, Amos Darius, Carol Y. Ochoa-Domínguez, Victoria M. Telles, Katheryn Rodriguez, Daniel Sabater-Minarim, Elizabeth A. Duran, Matthew P. Banegas. Global evidence of health-related social needs and distress among cancer survivors: A scoping review of food, housing, and transportation insecurity abstract. In: Proceedings of the 18th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities; 2025 Sep 18-21; Baltimore, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2025;34(9 Suppl):Abstract nr A005.
Tran et al. (Thu,) studied this question.