Supervisors info:
Πατηράκη-Κουρμπάνη Ελισάβετ, Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Νοσηλευτικής, ΕΚΠΑ, Επιβλέπουσα
Λεμονίδου Χρυσούλα, Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Νοσηλευτικής, ΕΚΠΑ
Κατσαραγάκης Στυλιανός, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Νοσηλευτικής, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Introduction: Cancer patients comprise a large part of the population. Although the spread and progression of the disease is rapid, rates of survival from cancer are particularly encouraging. This is due to the introduction into the clinical practice of new therapies, biologically targeted. Despite all the new therapeutic options, cancer patients face difficulties and obstacles in their daily lives that are related to unmet needs for support in all domains of their lives.
Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review was to study the existing literature on the supportive needs of cancer patients receiving targeted therapies either as monotherapy or in combination with conventional chemotherapies.
Materials and Methods: A systematic bibliographic search has been carried out in the PubMed and CINAHL databases with a combination of the following terms: "cancer patient (s)", "cancer treatment", "cancer therapy", "supportive care needs" and "unmet needs. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were studies in English and German language, the sample being over 18 years of age, patients receiving targeted biological therapies either in combination with routine treatments or as monotherapy and studies chronologically placed by the 2000 to date. The studies were evaluated according to PRISMA criteria.
Results: From the initial search of the bibliography there were 1933 publications, of which 165 were duplicate entries. By setting the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and following their assessment under the PRISMA criteria, 17 primary studies emerged Of the 17 studies, 47.05% reported women with breast cancer (metastatic, recurrent or newly diagnosed), while in 29.41% of the studies, the sample received the targeted treatments in combination with the usual chemotherapies; the remaining 70.59%, only one subgroup of the sample received the targeted treatments as monotherapy. As for the results of the studies, all studies showed that all patient groups had unmet needs. First comes to 58.82% of all studies (10/17 studies), information needs. Only 35.29% of the studies showed that patients had unmet needs in the psychological field while 5.89% of the studies had unmet needs in the organic sector. In the majority of studies, 13/17 studies reported as less well-conceived needs those belonging to the field of interpersonal relationships - sexuality.
Conclusions: All of the studies showed that patients undergoing treatment have increased supportive care needs. Specifically, patients had unsatisfied needs in all areas, with the main representative being the information, psychological and physical – daily living needs. Most studies have highlighted the information – Health System needs for patients, as a more intense and primary necessity, while sexuality needs were lower. Finally, due to the heterogeneity of the sample of studies and the small number of studies included in the review, we are not allowed to generalize the results.
Keywords:
Cancer patients, Cancer therapy, Cancer treatment, Supportive care needs, Unmet needs
