Supportive care interventions for cancer patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): a scoping review

Purpose: In high-income countries (HICs), supportive care is often implemented to assist cancer patients as they seek treatment and beyond. However, in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), where more than 70% of all cancer-related deaths occur [1], the provision of supportive care has not been assessed. The purpose of this scoping review is to assess the type of supportive care interventions for cancer patients that are being implemented into practice across the cancer care continuum in LMICs. Methods: We examined published articles reporting on supportive care interventions in LMICs. Following PRISMA guidelines, we performed a systematic search of PubMed, ERIC, CINAHL, and PsychInfo. We limited the scope to original research studies focused on LMICs, studies that implemented any type of supportive care intervention for adult cancer patients, from diagnosis, treatment, and through survivorship. Results: Thirty-five studies met the criteria for inclusion in the scoping review. The majority were randomized clinical trials (RCT) or used a quasi-experimental design. The highest number of studies (n=23) were implemented in the WHO Eastern-Mediterranean region, followed by South-East Asia (n=6), Africa (n=4) and Western-Pacific Regions (n=2). Most studies focused on women’s cancers and included interventions for psychosocial support, symptom management, health literacy/education, and patient navigation. Conclusions: Although only a small number of interventions are being implemented in these settings, our results suggest that providing different types of supportive services in less-resourced settings, even when health systems are fragmented and fragile, can improve mental health, physical health, and the quality of life (QoL) of cancer patients.