Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29593021›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2018

Lifestyle advice to cancer survivors: a qualitative study on the perspectives of health professionals.

Dimitrios A Koutoukidis, Sonia Lopes, Abigail Fisher, Kate Williams, Helen Croker, Rebecca J Beeken

Abstract readEvaluation Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 45 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
45citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

45 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. Trial
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Turkish urologists' knowledge and attitudes on lifestyle advice for bladder cancer: a national survey.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Small steps, big impact: redefining cancer survival through lifestyle.Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2025
    Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Dimitrios A Koutoukidis *Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK.
Sonia Lopes *Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK.
Abigail FisherDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK.
Kate WilliamsDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK.
Helen CrokerDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK.
Rebecca J BeekenDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK.

Funding

Cancer Research UK 14133
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesAdoption of healthy lifestyle behaviours has shown promising effectiveness in reducing the high morbidity burden of cancer survivors. Health professionals (HPs) are well suited to provide lifestyle advice but few survivors report receiving guidance from them. This study aimed to explore HPs' perspective of lifestyle advice (on healthy eating, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol) for cancer survivors.

designIn-depth semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted by telephone or face to face. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. SETTING AND

participantsTwenty-one UK HPs working in secondary care with breast, prostate or colorectal cancer survivors were interviewed.

resultsThe overarching theme was that HPs' desire to provide lifestyle advice was not necessarily matched by knowledge and action. Three main themes were identified: (1) survivorship-centred barriers to provision, (2) HP-centred barriers to provision, and (3) optimal delivery of lifestyle advice. Results suggested that HPs' perceptions of survivors' current status of practising health behaviours, their perceived socioeconomic barriers and ability to practise health behaviours, and HPs' fear for potential loss of connection with the patient influenced provision of lifestyle advice. Further factors included HPs' knowledge of healthy lifestyle guidelines, feeling that they were not the 'right person' to provide advice, and lack of time and resources. HPs stressed that the optimal delivery of lifestyle advice should (1) be tailored to the individual and delivered throughout the cancer journey, (2) be focused on small and achievable changes framed as part of their treatment regimen and (3) be cost-effective for wide-scale implementation.

conclusionsIncorporation of the identified barriers when developing HP training programmes and lifestyle interventions could increase the probability of successful behavioural change, and thus improve outcomes for cancer survivors.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelCancer SurvivorsHealth BehaviorLife StyleAdultAgedFemaleHealth PersonnelHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchRisk Reduction BehaviorSurveys and QuestionnairesUnited Kingdomcancer survivorsguidelineshealth professionalsinterventionslifestyle

Identifiers

PMID29593021
PMCPMC5875617

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.