Systematic review of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' experiences and supportive care needs associated with cancer

doi:10.1186/s12889-024-18070-3

. 2024 Feb 20;24(1):523.

doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-18070-3.

Systematic review of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' experiences and supportive care needs associated with cancer

John Gilroy^{1

2}, Mandy Henningham^{1

2}, Drew Meehan³, Farhana Nila², Joanna McGlone⁴, Amanda McAtamney⁴, Kate Whittaker⁴, Bena Brown⁵, Megan Varlow⁴, Tanya Buchanan^{4

6}

Affiliations

¹ Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
² Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
³ Cancer Council Australia, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia. Drew.meehan@cancer.org.au.
⁴ Cancer Council Australia, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia.
⁵ Inala Indigenous Health Service, Metro South Health, Inala, QLD, 4077, Australia.
⁶ School of Health and Society, Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia.

PMID: 38378574
PMCID: PMC10877816
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18070-3

Systematic review of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' experiences and supportive care needs associated with cancer

John Gilroy et al. BMC Public Health. 2024.

. 2024 Feb 20;24(1):523.

doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-18070-3.

Authors

John Gilroy^{1

2}, Mandy Henningham^{1

2}, Drew Meehan³, Farhana Nila², Joanna McGlone⁴, Amanda McAtamney⁴, Kate Whittaker⁴, Bena Brown⁵, Megan Varlow⁴, Tanya Buchanan^{4

6}

Affiliations

¹ Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
² Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
³ Cancer Council Australia, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia. Drew.meehan@cancer.org.au.
⁴ Cancer Council Australia, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia.
⁵ Inala Indigenous Health Service, Metro South Health, Inala, QLD, 4077, Australia.
⁶ School of Health and Society, Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia.

PMID: 38378574
PMCID: PMC10877816
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18070-3

Abstract

Background: Persistent disparities exist between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (the Indigenous peoples of Australia) and non-Indigenous Australians associated with cancer, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experiencing a longer time to treatment, higher morbidity rates, and higher mortality rates. This systematic review aimed to investigate findings and recommendations in the literature about the experiences and supportive care needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with cancer in Australia.

Methods: A qualitative systematic review was conducted using thematic analysis. Database searches were conducted in CINAHL, Informit, MEDLINE, ProQuest, Scopus, and Web of Science for articles published between January 2000 and December 2021. There were 91 included studies which were appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. The included studies reported on the experiences of cancer and supportive care needs in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.

Results: Six key themes were determined: Culture, family, and community; cancer outcomes; psychological distress; access to health care; cancer education and awareness; and lack of appropriate data. Culture was seen as a potential facilitator to achieving optimal cancer care, with included studies highlighting the need for culturally safe cancer services and the routine collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status in healthcare settings.

Conclusion: Future work should capitalize on these findings by encouraging the integration of culture in healthcare settings to increase treatment completion and provide a positive experience for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with cancer.

Keywords: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander; Cancer; Indigenous; Sovereignty; Systematic review; Thematic analysis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

**Fig. 1**
PRISMA flowchart of the screening process

**Fig. 2**
Study designs of the included 91 studies

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Cancer in Australia 2021. Canberra: AIHW; 2021.
1. Segelov E, Garvey G. Cancer and Indigenous populations: Time to end the disparity. JCO Global Oncology. 2020;6:80–82. doi: 10.1200/JGO.19.00379. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Cultural safety in health care for Indigenous Australians: Monitoring framework. Canberra: AIHW; 2022.
1. Lowitja Institute. Transforming power: Voices for generational change. Melbourne: The Close the Gap Campaign Steering Committee; 2022.
1. Pearson O, Schwartzkopff K, Dawson A, Hagger C, Karagi A, Davy C, et al. Aboriginal community controlled health organisations address health equity through action on the social determinants of health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia. BMC Public Health. 2020;20:1–13. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-09943-4. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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[1] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Cancer in Australia 2021. Canberra: AIHW; 2021.

[2] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Cancer in Australia 2021. Canberra: AIHW; 2021.

[3] Segelov E, Garvey G. Cancer and Indigenous populations: Time to end the disparity. JCO Global Oncology. 2020;6:80–82. doi: 10.1200/JGO.19.00379. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[4] Segelov E, Garvey G. Cancer and Indigenous populations: Time to end the disparity. JCO Global Oncology. 2020;6:80–82. doi: 10.1200/JGO.19.00379. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[5] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Cultural safety in health care for Indigenous Australians: Monitoring framework. Canberra: AIHW; 2022.

[6] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Cultural safety in health care for Indigenous Australians: Monitoring framework. Canberra: AIHW; 2022.

[7] Lowitja Institute. Transforming power: Voices for generational change. Melbourne: The Close the Gap Campaign Steering Committee; 2022.

[8] Lowitja Institute. Transforming power: Voices for generational change. Melbourne: The Close the Gap Campaign Steering Committee; 2022.

[9] Pearson O, Schwartzkopff K, Dawson A, Hagger C, Karagi A, Davy C, et al. Aboriginal community controlled health organisations address health equity through action on the social determinants of health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia. BMC Public Health. 2020;20:1–13. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-09943-4. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[10] Pearson O, Schwartzkopff K, Dawson A, Hagger C, Karagi A, Davy C, et al. Aboriginal community controlled health organisations address health equity through action on the social determinants of health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia. BMC Public Health. 2020;20:1–13. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-09943-4. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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Systematic review of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' experiences and supportive care needs associated with cancer

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Systematic review of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' experiences and supportive care needs associated with cancer

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