The experiences of women receiving brachytherapy for cervical cancer: A systematic literature review

Humphrey, Pauline; Bennett, Claire; Cramp, Fiona

Abstract

© 2018 The College of Radiographers Objectives: To determine women's experiences of brachytherapy for cervical cancer. Key findings: Nineteen studies were included for data extraction/synthesis. Twelve studies focussed on psychological issues, seven on pharmacological aspects of women's experiences. Themes of anxiety, distress, pain, informational needs and non-pharmacological interventions were found. Nine out of ten psychological studies described brachytherapy as a distressing experience causing anxiety and distress for most women. Non-pharmacological interventions were found to be effective and inexpensive adjuncts. Peri and post-operative pharmacological management was variable, but duration of procedure was an important factor. Conclusion: Brachytherapy for gynaecological cancer causes varying levels of pain, anxiety and distress. To improve women's experiences there needs to be better pain management, patient information and the development of non-pharmacological interventions. Future recommendations are to develop clinical support guidelines, audit the quality of services and develop effective interventions to improve women's experiences of brachytherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer.

• Journal Article Type: Review
• Acceptance Date: Jun 1, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Jul 18, 2018
• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2018
• Deposit Date: Jul 12, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 18, 2019
• Journal: Radiography
• Print ISSN: 1078-8174
• Electronic ISSN: 1532-2831
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 24
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 396-403
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radi.2018.06.002
• Keywords: cervical cancer, brachytherapy, patient experience, distress
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/856571
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radi.2018.06.002
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published version is available here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radi.2018.06.002.
• Contract Date: Jul 12, 2018