Supervisors info:
Πατηράκη Ελισάβετ, Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Νοσηλευτικής, ΕΚΠΑ
Μυστακίδου Κυριακή, Καθηγήτρια , Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Κατσαραγάκης Στυλιανός, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής , Τμήμα Νοσηλευτικής, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Introduction: Oral cancer is one of the most common malignancies in both developed and developing world, with an increased incidence at younger age and females in recent years. Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the most common treatment choices. Especially radiotherapy has many side effects that have an impact in quality of life even years later. Although protocols are available to manage some symptoms, it is observed that these patients have increased supportive care needs.
Purpose: To synthesise current available evidence with regard to supportive care needs of patients living with and beyond oral cancer after receiving radiotherapy .
Methods: This scoping review was conducted according to the PRISMA Statement guidelines. Two electronic databases (Pubmed and Scopus) were searched to identify studies employing qualitative and/or quantitative methods. Pre-specified selection criteria were applied to all records published between 2010-2020. Methodological quality evaluation was conducted using the΄΄STANDARD QUALITY ASSESSMENT CRITERIA for Evaluating Primary Research Papers from a Variety of Fields’’ tool. Findings were integrated in narrative synthesis.
Results: Of 1816 references initially retrieved, 35 articles were finally included. Individual needs were classified into six domains of need. Physical needs (85,7%), , psychological/emotional needs (40%), social needs (40%) and information needs(28,6%) were the most frequently explored. Practical/financial needs (5,7%) and spiritual needs (2,85%) were only rarely explored. Among physical needs swallowing and dry mouth (54,2% respectively), speech (48,57%), feeding needs (45,7%)mastication, taste and pain (34,2% respectively), mucositis (25,71%) and trismus (22,8%) were the most common problems. Fatigue (17,14%), osteoradionecrosis (14,28%) and loss of appetite (11,4%) were addressed in ≥4 studies. Skin toxicity, sexuality problems (8,6%), cough (5,7%), olfactory disorders and insomnia (2,8%) were addressed in <4 studies.
Conclusions: Humans with oral cancer cope with a variety of needs during and a long time after radiation therapy. The role of nurses is very important in order to prevent and take care of these needs. Supportive care should be implemented before the beginning of radiotherapy through survivorship or death. In the future, longitudinal and prospective studies will shed more light on the influence of early implementation of supportive care in quality of life of these people.
Keywords:
Oral Cancer, Radiotherapy, Supportive Care Needs, Survivors, Quality of life
