Patients' experiences of cancer immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors: A systematic review and thematic synthesis.

AIM: To obtain a deeper understanding of peoples' experiences of cancer treatments with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). BACKGROUND: ICIs are transforming survival outcomes for many with certain advanced cancers. Given the possibility of unique immune-related adverse events (irAEs), understanding treatment experiences is crucial to identify support needs and provide safe and effective person-centred care. DESIGN: A systematic review of qualitative research and thematic synthesis. To report this review, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Analysis and Meta Analysis (PRISMA) checklist and Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research (ENTREQ) guidance have been used. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Web of Science databases were searched in January 2022 for eligible studies published in English from database inception. REVIEW METHODS: Two reviewers independently screened records, identified papers for inclusion and appraised methodological quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist. Themes were developed using thematic synthesis. RESULTS: Eighteen papers were included and three analytical themes developed: immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment decision-making; the experience and impact of immune checkpoint inhibitor treatments; and appraising and responding to irAEs. CONCLUSION: The synthesis renders visible individuals' unmet information, psychological and practical support needs. It identifies shortcomings in immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment decision-making processes and highlights the need for healthcare professionals to recognise and sensitively handle individuals' treatment expectations. Individuals' understandings of and responses to irAEs are also illustrated, and attention drawn to patients' concerns about healthcare professionals' checkpoint inhibitor and irAEs knowledge. IMPLICATIONS FOR PATIENT CARE: To sensitively manage treatment expectations and uncertainties, and optimise health outcomes, there are distinct points in treatment trajectories where care and support might require adapting and enhancing. IMPACT: This review addresses people's experiences of immune checkpoint inhibitor treatments. The core findings reveal unmet information, psychological and practical support needs. Insights derived from this review will enhance individuals' experiences and outcomes and healthcare professionals' practice. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public involvement.

Review: Crisis responses for children and young people - a systematic review of effectiveness, experiences and service organisation (CAMH-Crisis).

BACKGROUND: In England, one in six children aged 5-19 has a probable diagnosable mental health disorder. This is a major public health problem, with multiple agencies adopting varying approaches to care delivery for children and young people (CYP) in crisis. OBJECTIVES: To examine the organisation of crisis services across education, health, social care and voluntary sectors; the experiences and perceptions of CYP, families and staff; the effectiveness of current approaches to care and the goals of crisis intervention. METHODS: A systematic review of all relevant English language evidence regarding the provision and receipt of crisis support for CYP aged 5-25 (PROSPERO-CRD42019160134). Seventeen databases were searched from 1995 to 2021 and relevant UK-only grey literature was identified. Critical appraisal was conducted using appropriate design specific appraisal tools. A narrative approach to synthesis was conducted. RESULTS: In total, 138 reports (48 reports covering 42 primary research studies; 36 reports covering 39 descriptive accounts of the organisation services and 54 UK-only grey literature reports) were included. The evidence suggests that crisis services were organised as follows: triage/assessment-only, digitally mediated support approaches, and intervention approaches and models. When looking at experiences of crisis care, four themes were identified: (a) barriers and facilitators to seeking and accessing appropriate support; (b) what children and young people want from crisis services; (c) children's, young people's and families' experiences of crisis services; and (d) service provision. In determining effectiveness, the findings are summarised by type of service and were generated from single heterogenous studies. The goals of crisis services were identified. DISCUSSION: Despite a lack of high-quality international studies, findings suggest that support prior to reaching crisis point is important. From this work, various aspects of crisis care have been identified that can be incorporated into existing services across education, health, social care and the voluntary sector.

Intervention combinations within multimodal prehabilitation and their effect on health-related quality of life, fatigue, and adherence in the adult cancer population: an umbrella review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: This umbrella review will investigate intervention combinations that are provided as multimodal prehabilitation and their effect on health-related quality of life, fatigue, and adherence in the adult cancer population. INTRODUCTION: Cancer and treatment-related long-term and late effects are a significant source of impairment worldwide. Multimodal prehabilitation has been the subject of intense research in recent years due to its potential to improve cancer treatment and surgical outcomes. Prehabilitation has been provided in different combinations of exercise, nutrition, and psychological support, although evidence of effectiveness varies in the literature. INCLUSION CRITERIA: The review will consider quantitative and mixed methods (segregated approach) systematic reviews investigating the effectiveness of multimodal prehabilitation compared with any other or no intervention for adults with cancer (≥18 years). Systematic reviews focusing solely on unimodal prehabilitation or rehabilitation during or after cancer treatment will be excluded. METHODS: This review will follow the JBI methodology for umbrella reviews. The following databases will be searched from 2001 onwards: MEDLINE, Emcare, PsycINFO, and AMED (Ovid); CINAHL (EBSCOhost); PEDro; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews; and Epistemonikos. Backchaining and forward citation tracking will also be performed. Organizational websites will be searched for relevant gray literature. Two reviewers will perform title/abstract and full-text screening against the inclusion criteria, and disagreements will be resolved via discussion or a third reviewer. Relevant population, intervention, and outcome data will be extracted from included full-text documents, and the quality of reports will be determined using the JBI checklist for systematic reviews. The results will be presented in tabular and narrative format. REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO: CRD42024511601.

Realist evaluation of cancer rehabilitation services in South Wales (REEACaRS): a mixed methods study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Long-term and late effects of cancer treatments can cause functional limitations and reduce quality of life. Cancer rehabilitation services, which can comprise physical exercise, psychological support and educational interventions depending on the individual's needs, have been found to have a positive effect on health-related quality of life worldwide. However, accessibility or the lack of awareness on available help can act as barriers and influence the uptake of services, resulting in people having unmet rehabilitation needs. In Wales, UK, 41% of people, who have had health and social care needs resulting from cancer and its treatments, reported that they did not receive care when needed. The reason for this lack of support has not yet been fully investigated. The aim of this study is to investigate the conditions in which cancer rehabilitation services work and their underpinning mechanisms in South Wales, UK, specifically addressing barriers, facilitators and costs. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Realist evaluation, which explains for whom a service works in what circumstances and how through context-mechanism-outcome pattern conjunctions, will be used in three phases to investigate the conditions in which cancer rehabilitation services work and their underpinning mechanisms. Phase 1 will be secondary analysis of a cancer rehabilitation database from a local Health Board to give context to who are accessing rehabilitation. Phase 2 will be thematic analysis of face-to-face, semistructured rehabilitation participant (n=20) and healthcare professional (n=20) interviews to explore the mechanisms of how cancer rehabilitation works. Phase 3 will be two case studies and cost-consequences analysis of cancer rehabilitation services. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study received favourable ethical opinion from London South-East Research Ethics Committee (17/LO/2123) in December 2017. This project is part of the author's PhD thesis and it is expected that the findings will be disseminated in academic journals and at local and international conferences.