Experiences of Symptoms and Impact on Daily Life and Health in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients: A Meta-synthesis of Qualitative Research

The incidence of hepatocellular cancer (HCC) has continually increased. To achieve optimal supportive cancer care for HCC patients, it is important to consider patients’ experiences and preferences. OBJECTIVE: This meta-synthesis aims to critically interpret how patients with HCC experience symptoms and the impact of the disease on daily life and health. METHODS: Searches were performed in the following bibliographic databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library. In addition, searches were performed using Open Gray to identify relevant studies in the gray literature. The search was limited to studies published in English from 2009 to 2019. Five studies (124 participants) were identified, appraised, and ultimately interpreted and synthesized. RESULTS: Receiving an HCC diagnosis was overwhelming and affected the patients’ entire lives. Three themes were identified based on the meta-synthesis: (1) disrupted life, (2) living with uncertainty, and (3) a changed body. Patients with HCC experience disrupted lives because of the cancer’s effect on health and multidimensional symptoms. CONCLUSION: Available research on the experiences of HCC patients is limited. This meta-synthesis of available studies shows that being given a diagnosis of HCC is an overwhelming event. Our study findings show that an HCC diagnosis affected the individual’s entire life. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: It is important to identify the patients’ physical, psychological, social, and existential needs during the investigation of their condition, during any curative treatment, and at the palliative stage of the disease.