Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Jan;156(1):61-71.
doi: 10.1007/s11060-021-03895-4. Epub 2021 Nov 26.

Reforming support systems of newly diagnosed brain cancer patients: a systematic review

Maria Loizidou  1 , Viktoria Sefcikova  2 , Justyna O Ekert  3 , Matan Bone  4 , George Samandouras  2   5
Affiliations

Reforming support systems of newly diagnosed brain cancer patients: a systematic review

Maria Loizidou et al. J Neurooncol. 2022 Jan.

Abstract

Purpose: Despite the increasing incidence of currently incurable brain cancer, limited resources are placed in patients' support systems, with reactive utilisation late in the disease course, when physical and psychological symptoms have peaked. Based on patient-derived data and emphasis on service improvement, this review investigated the structure and efficacy of the support methods of newly diagnosed brain cancer patients in healthcare systems.

Methods: This systematic review was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols. Articles from PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL databases were screened with six pre-established eligibility criteria, including assessment within 6 months from diagnosis of a primary malignant brain tumour. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) Qualitative Studies Checklist.

Results: Of 5057 original articles, 14 were eligible for qualitative synthesis. Four studies were cross-sectional and ten were descriptive. Information given to patients was evaluated in seven studies, communication with patients in nine, and patient participation in treatment decisions in eight. Risk of bias was low in ten studies, moderate in two, and high in two.

Conclusions: Techniques promoting individualised care increased perceived support, despite poor patient-physician communication and complexity of the healthcare system. Extracted data across 14 included studies informed a set of guidelines and a four-step framework. These can help evaluate and reform healthcare services to better accommodate the supportive needs of this patient group.

Keywords: Diagnosis; Primary malignant brain neoplasms; Primary malignant brain tumours; Psychosocial support systems.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no financial or non-financial conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Operational definition of patient support systems. Support is defined as the care offered by healthcare professionals (micro-level) and by the healthcare system in its entirety and/or in accordance to specific guidelines with consistency within institutions (macro-level) in three distinct domains, as perceived by patients: (a) format and level of information provided to patients, (b) ongoing communication with patients, (c) patient participation in treatment
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Risk of bias (RoB) in individual qualitative studies, based on the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) Qualitative Checklist. Domains 1–10 were evaluated for each study and RoB was judged as high (X), unclear (−), or low (+)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
PRISMA flow diagram
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Chambers SK, Grassi L, Hyde MK, et al. Integrating psychosocial care into neuro-oncology: challenges and strategies. Front Oncol. 2015;5:41. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2015.00041. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Pascoe SW, Neal RD, Allgar VL, et al. Psychosocial care for cancer patients in primary care? Recognition of opportunities for cancer care. Fam Pract. 2004;21:437–442. doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmh415. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Taphoorn MJB, Claassens L, Aaronson NK, et al. An international validation study of the EORTC brain cancer module (EORTC QLQ-BN20) for assessing health-related quality of life and symptoms in brain cancer patients. Eur J Cancer. 2010;46:1033–1040. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2010.01.012. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Meyers CA, Hess KR. Multifaceted end points in brain tumor clinical trials: cognitive deterioration precedes MRI progression. Neuro Oncol. 2003;5:89–95. doi: 10.1215/15228517-5-2-89. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Scott SE, Penfold C, Saji S, et al. ‘It was nothing that you would think was anything’: qualitative analysis of appraisal and help seeking preceding brain cancer diagnosis. PLoS ONE. 2019;14:e0213599. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213599. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types