Jing Jie, Li Mohan, Rui Yehao, Wang Danruo, Zhu Qiuchen, Yuan Ling
Department of Oncology, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
School of Nursing, Nanjing University Of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
Support Care Cancer. 2025 Sep 18;33(10):862. doi: 10.1007/s00520-025-09904-w.
Substantial time investments are required from patients and caregivers due to cancer management and treatment demands. These cumulative time burdens can lead to the disruption of daily life order, aggravation of psychological distress, and economic burden. However, time toxicity is often overlooked in the current healthcare environment. Therefore, this study examined perceptions of time toxicity from advanced cancer patients and their family caregivers.
A qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews was conducted among 12 advanced cancer patients and 6 family caregivers at oncology departments in tertiary hospitals and a community hospital. The interviews were analyzed according to thematic analysis. The reporting of this qualitative research conformed to the COREQ consolidated criteria.
The findings of this study have revealed four key themes: (1) The experience of time toxicity stems from multi-dimensional contributing factors; (2) time toxicity has multiple negative impacts on patients and caregivers; (3) strategies for coping with time toxicity in cancer patients and caregivers; (4) clinical needs and expectations of cancer patients and caregivers regarding time burden.
Healthcare professionals should receive training to identify time toxicity manifestations and their cascading effects on patient distress; systematic time burden assessments must be initiated at cancer diagnosis, coupled with implementation of time-saving care pathways and continuous evaluation of temporal resource adequacy.
由于癌症管理和治疗需求，患者和照护者需要投入大量时间。这些累积的时间负担可能导致日常生活秩序被打乱、心理困扰加剧以及经济负担加重。然而，在当前的医疗环境中，时间毒性常常被忽视。因此，本研究调查了晚期癌症患者及其家庭照护者对时间毒性的认知。
在一家三级医院和一家社区医院的肿瘤科，对12名晚期癌症患者和6名家庭照护者进行了基于半结构化访谈的定性研究。访谈按照主题分析法进行分析。本定性研究的报告符合COREQ综合标准。
本研究结果揭示了四个关键主题：（1）时间毒性的体验源于多维度的促成因素；（2）时间毒性对患者和照护者有多重负面影响；（3）癌症患者和照护者应对时间毒性的策略；（4）癌症患者和照护者在时间负担方面的临床需求和期望。
医疗专业人员应接受培训，以识别时间毒性的表现及其对患者痛苦的连锁反应；必须在癌症诊断时启动系统的时间负担评估，同时实施节省时间的护理路径，并持续评估时间资源的充足性。
