The following is a summary of “Home-based self-management multimodal cancer interventions & cardiotoxicity: a scoping review,” published in the February 2024 issue of Oncology by Talty et al.
In light of the burgeoning population of cancer survivors and the concomitant increase in cardiovascular complications arising from cancer treatments, there has been a growing recognition of the imperative for comprehensive survivorship care. This necessitates a concerted interdisciplinary effort, as underscored by emerging guidelines, to address the burgeoning gap in survivorship care, particularly concerning cardiotoxicity management. However, the landscape of interventions incorporating cardio-oncology principles remains largely unexplored.
This scoping review aims to meticulously evaluate the breadth and depth of existing cancer care interventions while scrutinizing their integration of cardio-oncology tenets.
Adhering rigorously to the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews Guidelines, the review meticulously combed through databases for articles spanning from 2010 to 2022. Two members of the research team independently conducted the search and data synthesis, employing stringent criteria encompassing various facets of intervention design and implementation.
The synthesized findings reveal a diverse array of interventions, spanning six key modalities: Psychological Support, Physical Activity, Nutrition, Patient Education, Lifestyle, and Caregiver Support. However, substantial heterogeneity exists in the focus, delivery medium, and duration of these interventions. Notably, while a significant number of study protocols and pilot endeavors documenting Home-Based Self-Management Interventions (HSMIs) were identified, a mere fraction have transitioned beyond preliminary stages. Noteworthy is the absence of ‘feasible’ interventions that comprehensively address all six modalities, while concurrently incorporating recommendations from cardio-oncology research, highlighting a critical gap in current survivorship care practices.
Despite the wealth of research and evidence in the domain of cardio-oncology, the review underscores the significant lag in translating guideline recommendations into tangible interventions. This underscores an urgent imperative for the expansion of cardiac rehabilitation programs to effectively cater to the evolving needs of cancer survivors. A concerted effort is warranted to bridge this chasm and usher in a new era of comprehensive survivorship care, aptly addressing the burgeoning burden of cardiotoxicity in the cancer survivor population.
Source: cardiooncologyjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40959-024-00204-6