Smidt Kate, Mackenzie Lynette, Dhillon Haryana, Vardy Janette, Lewis Joanne, Loh Siew Yim
Orange Health Service, Bloomfield, NSW, 2800, Australia.
Discipline of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW, 2141, Australia.
Support Care Cancer. 2016 Nov;24(11):4679-87. doi: 10.1007/s00520-016-3315-y. Epub 2016 Jun 20.
Cancer-related cognitive changes (CRCC) can have a profound impact on a cancer survivor's quality of life. However, cancer survivors frequently report receiving limited information about their experience of CRCC from their oncology specialists. This qualitative study aimed to explore the perceptions of oncology specialists regarding CRCC and the potential for their views to influence their decisions about patient care.
Thirteen medical oncologists and five radiation oncologists currently practising in Australia participated in this study. Data collection involved individual semi-structured interviews via telephone. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a thematic approach.
Four key themes emerged: (1) beliefs about the impact of priming on cancer survivors' perceived cognitive function, (2) perceptions of who is more likely to raise concerns of cognitive change, (3) uncertainty of how to best manage CRCC, and (4) the perceived role of oncologists in the management of CRCC.
CRCC and its impact on the cancer survivor's journey have been under-addressed by oncology specialists, and they are uncertain of potential management strategies. With cancer survival rates increasing, there is a need for specific interventions and management guidelines addressing CRCC and their effects on cancer survivors. Future exploration should focus on the survivor as central to their care and holistic approaches to CRCC management involving all members of the multidisciplinary team.
癌症相关认知改变（CRCC）会对癌症幸存者的生活质量产生深远影响。然而，癌症幸存者经常表示，他们从肿瘤专科医生那里获得的关于CRCC经历的信息有限。这项定性研究旨在探讨肿瘤专科医生对CRCC的看法，以及他们的观点影响其患者护理决策的可能性。
13名目前在澳大利亚执业的医学肿瘤学家和5名放射肿瘤学家参与了本研究。数据收集通过电话进行个人半结构化访谈。数据进行了音频录制、逐字转录，并采用主题分析法进行分析。
出现了四个关键主题：（1）关于启动对癌症幸存者认知功能感知影响的信念，（2）对谁更有可能提出认知改变担忧的看法，（3）如何最佳管理CRCC的不确定性，以及（4）肿瘤学家在CRCC管理中的感知作用。
肿瘤专科医生对CRCC及其对癌症幸存者历程的影响关注不足，并且他们对潜在的管理策略也不确定。随着癌症生存率的提高，需要针对CRCC及其对癌症幸存者影响的具体干预措施和管理指南。未来的探索应将幸存者作为其护理的核心，并采用多学科团队所有成员参与的CRCC管理整体方法。
