Lived experiences and quality of life after gynaecological cancer-An integrative review.
Ragnhild Johanne Tveit Sekse, Gail Dunberger, Mette Linnet Olesen and 2 others
PMID 30461101WHAT IT FOUND
Nordic gynaecological cancer survivors described lasting bowel, bladder, sexual, fatigue and body-image problems, plus fear of recurrence.
Follow-up focused on recurrence left unmet needs; nurse-led, person-centred dialogue and education were suggested.
Key findings
01The integrative review included 55 Nordic studies: 35 quantitative, 9 qualitative and 11 intervention studies.
02Women reported lasting physical problems across studies, including 36% lower-limb lymphoedema, 23% severe bladder symptoms and 26% pain.
03Follow-up focused predominantly on physical aspects, leaving unmet needs for information about bodily changes, sexuality and psychosocial support.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The review only covered Nordic women, so it may not match your local population or healthcare system. Many outcomes were self-reported, and follow-up times varied widely, so comparisons between studies were difficult. Intervention evidence was mixed: some studies used self-referral or descriptive designs, and the overall evidence level ranged from good to low. The review synthesised experiences and recommendations; it did not test a single treatment or outcome for your discipline.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest and said they were solely responsible for the content and writing of the paper.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this review as proof that nurse-led follow-up improves outcomes. It synthesises women's experiences and mixed-quality intervention studies, and the overall evidence level for interventions was described as ranging from good to low.