SynthesisCancer nursing
Family Caregivers' Experiences of Caring for Patients With Head and Neck Cancer: A Systematic Review and Metasynthesis of Qualitative Studies.
Synthesis in Cancer nursing. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The Role of Social Support in the Experience of Informal Caregivers of Cancer Patients: An Umbrella Review.Psycho-oncology · 2026Pooled it
- Prevalence and characteristics of persistent pain among head and neck cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) · 2025Pooled it
- Experiences with nutritional follow-up and barriers and opportunities of implementing digital seamless nutrition care in the head and neck cancer treatment course: a qualitative study from patient, family caregiver, and healthcare professional perspectives.BMC health services research · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Caregiver Burden in Head and Neck Cancer: The Combined Impact of Clinical Complexity and Psychological Distress.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- "It's a delicate dance": How informal caregivers experience the role and responsibilities of supporting someone living with a lower-grade glioma.Neuro-oncology practice · 2025Article
- Uncovering Care Challenges for Head and Neck Cancer Patients and Caregivers in the United States: A Scoping Review.Cureus · 2025Review
- 'Eating with Others': planning, developing and optimising a self-management intervention to promote social eating for patients living with and beyond head and neck cancer.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024Article
- Caring through uncertainty: a qualitative exploration of older colorectal cancer caregivers' experiences during palliative chemotherapy.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024Article
- Factors influencing physical activity in individuals with head and neck cancer: a scoping review.BMJ open · 2024Article
- Widespread distribution and altered pain processing in head and neck cancer survivors at long-term after treatment.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023Article
- Experiences and coping strategies of women caring for their husbands with cancer at the Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia: a descriptive phenomenological approach.Ecancermedicalscience · 2023Article
- Resilience in Informal Caregivers of Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancer: A Content Analysis Study.Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery researchArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFamily caregivers of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients undertook heavy care tasks and role responsibilities. They were facing multiple challenges during the patients' cancer trajectory.
objectiveThe aim of this study was to synthesize existing qualitative evidence regarding family caregivers' experiences of caring for HNC patients.
methodsA meta-aggregation approach was used. Articles were collected from MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library. Supplementary resources were collected by scrutinizing reference lists and performing citation tracking.
resultsA total of 20 studies were included and synthesized. Three meta-themes covering "accepting the diagnosis and treatment on patients: a distressing process," "facing changes of life and adapting to new roles," and "appreciating the external supports" were identified with 10 subthemes. There was high confidence in the evidence for "facing changes of life and adapting to new roles" and moderate confidence in the evidence for the other 2 meta-themes.
conclusionsTaking care of HNC patients is a distressing process. Caregivers took on role responsibilities and developed strategies to make adjustments to life changes, so as to provide better care for patients. External supports regarding caregiving and self-care were desired. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Psychological distress was common among caregivers and calls for routine clinical screening. Providing caregivers with practical strategies to deal with daily caregiving tasks was crucial. Healthcare workers can play a critical role in providing tailored support in different caregiving stages. The findings informed the interventions and future research to improve HNC caregivers' experiences.
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