QUALITY OF LIFE
WHAT IT IS,
FOR PEOPLE WITH CANCER?
We understand quality of life as a broad and multidimensional concept that goes beyond clinical outcomes or survival. For people living with liver cancer, it includes physical, psychological, social, and existential aspects of everyday life. Research shows that liver cancer can affect multiple areas simultaneously, shaping how individuals feel, function, and engage with their surroundings and relationships.
Standardized questionnaires are among the most used tools in the literature to collect and analyse quality-of-life data in this group of patients. However, evidence shows that these tools do not always fully reflect the complexity and richness of patient’s lived experiences (1,2,3).
Qualitative data collected to date highlight that some of the factors with the greatest impact on quality of life among patients with liver cancer include fatigue, weight and appetite loss, weakness, sleep disturbances, abdominal pain, uncertainty and emotional difficulties.
Likewise, research has also highlighted unmet needs among patients, particularly regarding access to information, emotional and practical support, and adequate accompaniment, as well as clinical communication problems that heighten uncertainty (1,4).
Figure 1. How can we improve the quality of life of patients with liver disease? A systematic review of mixed-methods studies (Grønkjær & Lauridsen, 2021).
This is where we come in. Our research aims to further expand the available knowledge on quality of life in patients with liver cancer, identify their unmet needs, prioritize them, and even begin to articulate possible solutions to address them.
DO YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE?
If you would like to take part and share your experience, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Your insights can help shape better care for people living with liver cancer!
To contact us, you can use the messaging box below, indicating your name and email address so that we can get back in touch with you.
Alternatively, you can write to us by email at the following email address: amelo@fadq.org and alongan@fadq.org
You can consult our privacy policy at the following link.
NEXT WORKSHOPS TAKING PLACE
SPAIN
Master of Multidisciplinary Research in Experimental Sciences
Duration
2h
Mode
Online
Language
English
Place
Barcelona
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BIBLIOGRAPHY AND EXISTING LITERATURE
1. Norman, E.M.L., Weil, J., Philip J. Hepatocellular carcinoma and its impact on quality of life: A review of the qualitative literature. Eur J Cancer Care. (2022) 31(6):e13672. Doi: 10.1111/ecc.13672
2. Drott, J., Björnsson, B., Sandström, P., Berterö, C. Experiences of Symptoms and Impact on Daily Life and Health in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients: A Meta-synthesis of Qualitative Research. Cancer Nurs. (2022). 45(6):430-437. DOI: 10.1097/NCC.0000000000001044.
3. Serper, M., Parikh, N.D., Thiele, G., et al. Patient-reported outcomes in HCC: A scoping review by the Practice Metrics Committee of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Hepatology (2022) 76(1):251-274. DOI: 10.1002/hep.32313.
4. Grønkjær, L.L., Lauridsen, M.M. Quality of life and unmet needs in patients with chronic liver disease: A mixed-method systematic review. JHEP Rep. (2021) 3(6):100370. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2021.100370.