Self-care behaviors in patients with cancer treated with oral anticancer agents: a systematic review

Purpose of review Continuous progress in cancer care has led to its increased use in oral anticancer agents that are easily managed by patients at home with fewer costs and hospitalizations. However, correct self-care behaviors are needed for the safe use of these medications. This review aimed to synthesize studies on self-care behaviors in patients treated with oral anticancer agents. Methods This systematic review used a convergent qualitative synthesis design for mixed studies. Studies on adult patients with cancer using any kind of oral anticancer agent and describing self-care maintenance, self-care monitoring, and/or self-care management behaviors were searched on PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL. After data extraction, the findings were retained for qualitative synthesis. Findings Of 3419 records, 19 studies were included in this review. From the qualitative synthesis, all the retrieved behaviors were synthesized in the three self-care dimensions. Five themes and 18 subthemes were identified. Self-care maintenance included adherence to the medications and prevention. Self-care monitoring consisted of health surveillance and recognition of illness changes. Self-care management included seeking help and autonomous management of side effects. Overall, most of the behaviors described focused only on adherence. Conclusion The findings of this systematic review could guide future studies on self-care and drive future interventions aimed at improving self-care in this vulnerable population. Nurses and other healthcare professionals should provide self-care support to patients taking oral anticancer agents. In particular, they should promote behaviors aimed at improving well-being, preserving health, or managing side effects.

Automated summary

This review examined self-care behaviors in patients treated with oral anticancer agents. The findings showed that most behaviors focused on medication adherence and there is a need for future interventions to improve self-care in this vulnerable population.