Supportive Care Needs in Pancreatic Cancer Patients and Caregivers
Author Information
Author(s): Fu Liang, Kim Su Hyun, Hayward Matt, Vieira Candice, Parikh Alexander, Song Lixin
Primary Institution: University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Hypothesis
This scoping review aims to provide a comprehensive review of the literature regarding supportive care needs and corresponding interventions in patients with pancreatic cancer and their family caregivers.
Conclusion
Patients with pancreatic cancer and their family caregivers have various supportive care needs, especially informational needs, and only a few interventions showed significant improvements.
Supporting Evidence
- Of the 4,342 references identified, 41 were included in the review.
- The top four highest supportive care needs were informational, physical, emotional, and practical.
- Most interventions focused on pain/symptom management and supportive counseling.
- Four studies showed statistically significant improvements in outcomes for intervention groups.
Takeaway
People with pancreatic cancer and their families need a lot of help, especially information, and some treatments work better than others.
Methodology
A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute Manual for Evidence Synthesis, searching five English databases.
Limitations
Only a few studies demonstrated statistically significant improvements, indicating limited evidence for some interventions.
Participant Demographics
Predominantly older adults affected by pancreatic cancer.
Statistical Information
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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