Table 1.
Characteristics of included studies
| Author (year) | Country of study/setting | Study type/method used | Study focus | Subjects/gender (N) | Age of subjects | Analysis/theoretical underpinnings reported | Cancer type (years since diagnosis) | Comorbid illness(es) reported | Themes evidenced in article |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker [33] 2015 | USA | QL/in-depth semi-structured interviews at two time points | Clinical care providers’ views on survivors’ weight management | Professionals: oncologists, surgeons, PCPs, nurses, dieticians. (N = 33) | ? | Constant comparative analysis | Prostate, breast, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (years not reported) | Diabetes, hypertension | 1, 2, 4, 5 |
| Bartlett [34] 2012 | UK | QL/in-depth interviews | Health professional views on needs assessment and communication with cancer patient with dementia | Healthcare professionals (N = 5) | ? | Heidegger’s phenomenological approach | Not reported; professional interviews | Dementia | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Beck [35] 2009 | USA | Mixed/interviews and psychometric tests | Symptom experience, QoL and functional performance of cancer survivors at 1 and 3 months post-treatment | Male and female cancer patients (N = 52) | 65+ | Not reported | All—most common breast and prostate (1 and 3 years after diagnosis) | Arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, neuromuscular disease | 1, 2, 3, 5 |
| Clarke [36] 2013 | Canada | QL/semi-structured interviews at two time points | Experience of multiple conditions in later life and influence of gender and age. | Male and female patients with multi-morbidity (N = 35) | 73+ | Patton’s thematic analysis | Not clearly reported (one bladder cancer) | Arthritis, back pain, heart disease, COPD | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Corner [37] 2013 | UK | Mixed/QL free text comments analysis | How free text comments on PROMs added to understanding of QoL issues for survivors | Male and female cancer patients (N = 1056) | Over 16 | Content analysis | Breast cancer, colorectal cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, prostate cancer (1–5 years) | Hypertension, arthritis, osteoporosis, back pain | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Courtier [38] 2016 | UK | QL/case studies | Outpatient experiences of patients with dementia and oncology management | Male and female cancer/dementia patients and five HCPs (N = 16) | ? | Wolcott’s framework for qualitative data analysis | Breast cancer, prostate cancer, head and neck cancers, pelvic cancer, colorectal (years not reported) | Dementia | 1, 3, 4, 5 |
| Dahlhaus [39] 2014 | Germany | QL/semi-structured telephone interviews | German GPs’ views on involvement in patients’ cancer care | Male and female GPs (N = 30) | ? | Mayring’s qualitative content analysis | Any professional interviews | Dementia, hypertension | 5 |
| Fenlon [40] 2013 | USA | QL/in-depth semi-structured interviews | Lived experience, support and information needs of breast cancer patients with comorbid illness | Male and female patients (N = 48, 43 are male) | 70–90 years | Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis | Breast cancer (up to 10 years) | Cardiac conditions, arthritis, hypertension, diabetes | 1, 2, 3, 5 |
| Fix [41] 2014 | USA | QL/longitudinal interviews | Hypertension self-management in patients with comorbidities | Male and female patients (N = 48, 43 are male) | Mean age 60 years | Grounded theory approach; Kleinman’s explanatory model as a framework | Prostate cancer, renal cancer (years not reported) | Hypertension, anxiety, arthritis, back pain, cardiovascular disease, COPD, depression, glaucoma, Parkinson’s disease | 1, 2, 4, 5 |
| Hannum [42] 2016 | USA | QL/longitudinal interviews | Narratives of cancer among chronically ill older adults | Male and female patients (N = 16, 13 are female) | 65 and over | Thematic analysis based on symbolic interactionism, constructivism and phenomenology | Breast, colon, brain, endometrial, oesophageal, GIST, large B cell lymphoma, pancreatic, stomach (within 1 year) | Diabetes, glaucoma | 2, 3 |
| Hershey [43] 2012 | USA | Mixed/phone survey with two open-ended questions | Impact of cancer and its treatment on diabetes self-management | Male and female patients (N = 37) | 50 and over | Qualitative content analysis | Breast, lung and pancreas (years not reported) | Diabetes (type I and II) | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Kantsiper [44] 2009 | USA | QL/focus group interviews | Needs and priorities of breast cancer patients, oncologists and PCPs. | Female patients; male and female professionals (N = 52) | ? | Qualitative thematic analysis | Breast (1 year or more) | Diabetes, hypertension, renal issues | 5 |
| Loerzel [45] 2012 | USA | QL/semi-structured interviews | Understanding post-treatment survivorship in older women with breast cancer | Female patients (N = 20) | 65–86 years | Grounded theory approach and analysis | Breast (within 1 year) | Fibromyalgia, arthritis | 1, 2, 3 |
| Loerzel [46] 2013 | USA | QL/semi-structured interviews | Understanding post-treatment survivorship in older women with breast cancer | Female patients (N = 20) | 65–86 years | Grounded theory approach and analysis | Breast (within 1 year) | Fibromyalgia, arthritis | 2, 3 |
| Mason [23] 2014 | UK | QL/in-depth serial interviews | Experience of advanced multi-morbidity and implications for palliative and end of life care | Male and female patients and carers (N = 37) | 55–62 years (mean 76) | Thematic analysis; constructionist approach | Lung (years not reported) | Heart disease, respiratory, liver, renal failure, neurological conditions, dementia | 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Morgan [47] 2015 | UK | QL/in-depth serial interviews | Experience of advanced multi-morbidity and implications for palliative and end of life care | Male and female patients and carers (N = 37) | 55–62 years (mean 76) | Thematic analysis; constructionist approach | Breast; professional interviews | Dementia and others non-specified | 1, 5 |
| Nanton [48] 2016 | UK | QL/in-depth serial interviews | To examine the impact of uncertainty on identity in people with advanced multi-morbidity and the role of HCPs and health systems | Male and female patients and carers (N = 37) | 41–92 years | Thematic analysis; based on social constructionism and ethnography | Lung, prostate (years not reported) | Stroke, ischaemic heart disease, dementia, osteoarthritis, hypertension | 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Norman [49] 2001 | Canada | QL/semi-structured interviews | Palliative care patients’ relationships with their family physicians | Male and female patients (N = 25) | 28–84 years | Grounded theory approach | 12 types of cancer (1 month-12 years) | Diabetes | 5 |
| Palmer [50] 2011 | USA | Mixed/survey and interviews | Health-related goals of post-treatment colorectal cancer survivors | Male and female patients (N = 41) | 33–87 years | Unclear; thematic analysis described | Colorectal (within 2 years) | Diabetes, chronic pain | 2, 3, 4 |
| Palmer [51] 2013 | USA | QL/semi-structured interviews | Health-related goals of post-treatment colorectal cancer survivors | Male and female patients (N = 41) | 33–87 years | Content analysis | Colorectal (within 2 years) | Diabetes, chronic pain | 2, 4 |
| Sada [52] 2011 | USA | QL/semi-structured interviews | PCP and oncologists’ roles and communication in shared care of cancer patients | Male patients, male and female professionals (N = 24) | 40–80+ | Unclear; some form of thematic analysis | Colorectal (within 2 years) | COPD, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and others non-specified | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Saunders-Sturm [31] 2003 | USA | QL/semi-structured interviews | Lived experience of breast cancer | Female patients (N = 33) | 47 years and over | Grounded theory approach; social constructionist | Breast (18 months-4 years) | Arthritis, asthma, chronic bronchitis, high blood pressure and diabetes | 2, 3, 4 |
| Sawin [54] 2012 | USA | QL/semi-structured interviews | Ageing related experiences of women with breast cancer in unsupportive relationships | Female patients (N = 16) | 50–84 years (mean 68.1) | Hermeneutic phenomenological analysis | Breast (1–31 years; mean 7.4) | Hypertension, chronic pain, COPD | 1, 2, 3 |
| Sinding [55] 2008 | Canada | QL/semi-structured interviews at two time points | Older women’s experiences of cancer | Female patients (N = 15) | 70 years and over | Grounded theory approach and analysis | Breast and gynaecological (within 3 years) | Diabetes, Chrohn’s disease, ‘mental illness’ | 1, 2, 3 |
| Sowerbutts [56] 2015 | UK | QL/in-depth interviews | Surgery decisions in older women with breast cancer | Female patients (N = 28) | 70–99 years | Framework analysis | Breast (within 30 days) | Non-specified | 1, 3, 5 |
| Thomé [57] 2003 | Sweden | QL/interviews | Experiences of older people living with cancer and its impact on daily life | Male and female patients (N = 64) | 76–99 years (mean 87) | Latent content analysis | Breast, prostate, gastro, gynae, urogenital, skin, lung/larynx, haematological |
Within 5 years | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Volker [58] 2013 | USA | QL/focus group interviews | Cancer diagnosis for people with pre-existing functional limitations and topics for a wellness intervention programme | Female patients (N = 19) | 21 and over (mean 59.5) | Patton’s qualitative content analysis | Breast, colorectal, bladder, gynae, melanoma, thyroid, kidney (10 years on average) | Arthritis, multiple sclerosis | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Wallace [59] 2015 | USA | QL/semi-structured interviews at two time points | Treatment experiences of newly diagnosed head and neck cancer patients and influence of age and time | Male and female patients (N = 41, 32 are male) | 45–91 (mean 58.4) | Cresswell’s qualitative analysis; based on socio-emotional selective theory and Leventhal’s self-regulation model | Head and neck (within 2 weeks) | Heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, COPD, arthritis, fibromyalgia, liver failure | 3, 4, 5 |
| Wimberley [60] 2012 | USA | QL/in-depth serial interviews | Influence of breast cancer on women’s meanings, understanding and self-identities over time. | Female patients (N = 15) | 41–76 years (mean 59.4) | Hermeneutic analysis; phenomenological underpinnings | Breast (5–25 years) | Scleroderma and hypothyroidism | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Yoo [61] 2010 | USA | QL/in-depth interviews | Psychosocial impact of breast cancer and social support for older women | Female patients (N = 47) | 65–83 years | Grounded theory approach and analysis | Breast (within 4 years) | Heart disease and others non-specified | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Zhang [62] 2015 | USA | Mixed/psychometric test and interviews | Universal and unique depressive symptoms in African American cancer patients | Male and female patients (N = 74) | Mean 62 years | Unclear; thematic analysis described | Not reported | Depression | 2 |