TY - JOUR
T1 - Patient and carer experiences of cancer cachexia and its management
AU - Bowers, Megan
AU - Higginson, Irene J.
AU - Maddocks, Matthew
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
PY - 2024/9/1
Y1 - 2024/9/1
N2 - Purpose of review To explore the contributions of recent qualitative literature in progressing understanding of the experiences of cancer cachexia, and its management, from the perspectives of patients and unpaid/family carers. Recent findings Challenges with conducting everyday activities, maintaining independence, and continuing usual roles within the family are sources of distress. Patients and carers value individualization, flexibility, and carer involvement in physical activity/exercise interventions. In psychosocial/educational interventions that were positively perceived, the opportunity to talk about cachexia was appreciated, leading to improved health literacy, awareness about nutrition, and relationships with food. However, the general patient and carer experience around clinical acknowledgement and management of cachexia remains poor. Summary Eating-related distress and conflicts, lack of understanding about cachexia, and the visibility of weight loss remain recurring themes amongst literature on experiences of cancer cachexia. Studies exploring preferences for, and experiences of, interventions have primarily focused on physical activity or exercise. Psychosocial/educational and physical activity/exercise interventions are valued and perceived to alleviate some of the key quality of life issues amongst patients with cancer cachexia and their unpaid/family carers.
AB - Purpose of review To explore the contributions of recent qualitative literature in progressing understanding of the experiences of cancer cachexia, and its management, from the perspectives of patients and unpaid/family carers. Recent findings Challenges with conducting everyday activities, maintaining independence, and continuing usual roles within the family are sources of distress. Patients and carers value individualization, flexibility, and carer involvement in physical activity/exercise interventions. In psychosocial/educational interventions that were positively perceived, the opportunity to talk about cachexia was appreciated, leading to improved health literacy, awareness about nutrition, and relationships with food. However, the general patient and carer experience around clinical acknowledgement and management of cachexia remains poor. Summary Eating-related distress and conflicts, lack of understanding about cachexia, and the visibility of weight loss remain recurring themes amongst literature on experiences of cancer cachexia. Studies exploring preferences for, and experiences of, interventions have primarily focused on physical activity or exercise. Psychosocial/educational and physical activity/exercise interventions are valued and perceived to alleviate some of the key quality of life issues amongst patients with cancer cachexia and their unpaid/family carers.
KW - cachexia
KW - cancer
KW - experiences
KW - perceptions
KW - qualitative
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85198631315&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/SPC.0000000000000710
DO - 10.1097/SPC.0000000000000710
M3 - Review article
C2 - 38980806
AN - SCOPUS:85198631315
SN - 1751-4258
VL - 18
SP - 132
EP - 137
JO - Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care
JF - Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care
IS - 3
ER -
