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.

Citation

Humphrey, P., Bennett, C., & Cramp, F. (2018). The experiences of women receiving brachytherapy for cervical cancer: A systematic literature review. Radiography, 24(4), 396-403. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radi.2018.06.002

• 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.