Bridging gaps throughout a patient’s journey with melanoma: A qualitative systematic review

Summary: Abstract Body: Malignant melanoma is the deadliest skin cancer, with rising global incidence and mortality. While clinical advancements are crucial, the patient experience also requires attention. Challenges such as anxiety, symptom burden, and limited information affect melanoma patients' well-being. This systematic review aims to identify and analyze the key challenges, barriers, and gaps experienced by melanoma patients throughout their healthcare journey. Studies were identified by applying a search strategy to databases (e.g., Pubmed) with additional hand searching. Included studies focused on melanoma patients’ experiences, emphasized gaps or solutions throughout their journey, and were published in English between 2013 and 2023. Screening and extraction were performed in duplicate and independently through Covidence. Data were synthesized around identified themes. Methodological quality was assessed using the GRADE standard.The majority of literature was found to belong to one of four major themes identified and analyzed: intersectionality, treatment, diagnosis/prognosis and quality of life. Positionality-based disparities in the patient journey and other barriers to care were determined; remaining gaps in knowledge were revealed. The introduction of various targeted treatments and immunotherapy 14 years ago has improved survival, but long-term knowledge of clinical outcomes remains nascent. Elucidating knowledge of adverse patient reactions, modality application to rare or advanced melanomas, risk factors/prognosis, and efficacy of various screening methods remain a priority. There remain extensive gaps in a patient’s journey with melanoma. Identifying areas of improvement in current practice and knowledge is the first step in determining solutions to improve melanoma patients’ quality of life. Joy Xu¹, Adil Amarsi², Josh Chan³, Yuan Chun Jiang³, Ahmad Zobair Omar², Yasmin Meghdadi⁵, Aashita Doshi⁴, Alison Xie³ 1. University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States. 2. McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. 3. Western University, London, ON, Canada. 4. The University of Texas at Dallas School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Richardson, TX, United States. 5. University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. Minoritized Populations and Health Disparities Research