Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32009565›Full record

SynthesisPalliative medicine2020

Self-management of patients with advanced cancer: A systematic review of experiences and attitudes.

Sophie I van Dongen, Kim de Nooijer, Jane M Cramm, Anneke L Francke, Wendy H Oldenmenger, Ida J Korfage, Frederika E Witkamp, Rik Stoevelaar, Agnes van der Heide, Judith Ac Rietjens

Registry-linked trialAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Palliative medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05349227 (Comprehensive Outcomes for After Cancer Health), which is not on this map. Cited by 60 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
60citing papers in PubMed, 5 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.

NCT05349227 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2022, after this paper: background citation

Comprehensive Outcomes for After Cancer Health (COACH): the Feasibility and Impact of an MHealth Augmented Coaching Program for Self-Management in Cancer Survivors

TypeinterventionalSponsorPack HealthRan2022 to 2027Enrolled625ConditionsOvarian Cancer, Breast Cancer, Lung Cancer, Gastric CancerArmsDigital Health Coaching Program, Fitbit
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

60 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Effects of self-management on quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer: a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
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  4. Self-care behaviors in patients with cancer treated with oral anticancer agents: a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2022
    Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Trial
  7. A stepped-care approach to self-management: a qualitative study among individuals with cancer and their caregivers using the Coping-Together program.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Trial
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  9. Review
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  17. Observational
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  19. Empowering Kuwaiti adults with cancer: oncology nurses' perspectives on home-based self-management.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    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

10 authors.

Sophie I van DongenDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-8676-9579
Kim de NooijerDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-2887-6832
Jane M CrammErasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Anneke L FranckeNIVEL, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Wendy H OldenmengerFaculty of Nursing and Research Centre Innovations in Care, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-6855-6505
Ida J KorfageDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Frederika E WitkampFaculty of Nursing and Research Centre Innovations in Care, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Rik StoevelaarDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-5101-5654
Agnes van der HeideDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Judith Ac RietjensDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-0538-5603

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatients with advanced cancer are increasingly expected to self-manage. Thus far, this topic has received little systematic attention.

aimTo summarise studies describing self-management strategies of patients with advanced cancer and associated experiences and personal characteristics. Also, to summarise attitudes of relatives and healthcare professionals towards patient self-management.

designA systematic review including non-experimental quantitative and qualitative studies. Data were analysed using critical interpretive synthesis. Included studies were appraised on methodological quality and quality of reporting. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science and Google Scholar (until 11 June 2019).

resultsOf 1742 identified articles, 31 moderate-quality articles describing 8 quantitative and 23 qualitative studies were included. Patients with advanced cancer used self-management strategies in seven domains: medicine and pharmacology, lifestyle, mental health, social support, knowledge and information, navigation and coordination and medical decision-making (29 articles). Strategies were highly individual, sometimes ambivalent and dependent on social interactions. Older patients and patients with more depressive symptoms and lower levels of physical functioning, education and self-efficacy might have more difficulties with certain self-management strategies (six articles). Healthcare professionals perceived self-management as desirable and achievable if based on sufficient skills and knowledge and solid patient-professional partnerships (three articles).

conclusionSelf-management of patients with advanced cancer is highly personal and multifaceted. Strategies may be substitutional, additional or even conflicting compared to care provided by healthcare professionals. Self-management support can benefit from an individualised approach embedded in solid partnerships with relatives and healthcare professionals.

Indexed as

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeSelf EfficacySocial SupportAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasmsPatientsQualitative ResearchSelf-ManagementCancerintegrative oncologynursingpalliative carequality of lifeself-careself-managementsystematic review

Identifiers

PMID32009565
PMCPMC7433395

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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.