What is it about?
After the completion of chemotherapy, survivors of lymphoma are at risk of developing late effects of their cancer treatment, which can negatively impact their quality of life. Despite the recommendations for support after active treatment ceases, there is a recognised risk that survivors’ needs may not be met. The existing literature surrounding professional support in survivorship has been reviewed to establish whether people’s needs are being met.
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Why is it important?
Findings have shown that specialist support and primary care involvement were identified as the two main themes of professional support. Provider-related barriers and individual differences impact the effectiveness of the available support in survivorship. The research shows that following guidelines and understanding an individual’s personal needs following treatment will help to ensure that survivors receive the right support. Further research with survivors of lymphoma is required to improve outcomes in the future.
Perspectives
As a haematology staff nurse, I recognise examples from the research, especially in relation to survivors' differences in preferences for support. Although the findings show that support would benefit some patient's in survivorship, I also understand the pressure of an already overworked and understaffed NHS workforce. It would be amazing to be able to provide support services to those in need during survivorship, however the management of patient's in general is difficult during times of a growing population as healthcare staff shortages are worsening.
Ashleigh Berkley
Swansea Bay Health Board
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Support for adult survivors of lymphoma: a literature review, British Journal of Nursing, September 2022, Mark Allen Group,
DOI: 10.12968/bjon.2022.31.17.s12.
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