The role of religion and spirituality in cancer care: An umbrella review of the literature.
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| Abstract |
Although some studies have suggested a strong relationship between religion and spirituality (R&S) and patient outcomes in cancer care, other data have been mixed or even noted adverse effects associated with R&S in the healthcare setting. We sought to perform an umbrella review to systematically appraise and synthesize the current body of literature on the role of patient R&S in cancer care. A systematic search of the literature was conducted that focused on "cancer" (neoplasm, malignant neoplasm, malignancy), "spirituality" (beliefs, divine), and "religion" (specific practices like Christianity, faith, faith healing, prayer, Theology). A total of 41 review articles published from 1995 to 2019 were included: 8 systematic reviews, 6 meta-analyses, 4 systematic reviews and meta-analysis, and 23 other general reviews. The number of studies included in each review ranged from 7 to 148, while 10 studies did not indicate sample size. Most articles did not focus on a specific cancer diagnosis (n = 36), stage of cancer (n = 32), or patient population (n = 34). Many articles noted that R&S had a positive impact on cancer care, yet some reviews reported inconclusive or negative results. Marked variation in methodological approaches to studying R&S among cancer patients, including operational definitions and measurement, were identified. Resolving these issues will be an important step to understanding how patients seek to have R&S integrated into their patient-centered cancer care experience.
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| Authors | Elizabeth Palmer Kelly, Anghela Z Paredes, Diamantis I Tsilimigras, J Madison Hyer, Timothy M Pawlik |
| Journal | Surgical oncology (Surg Oncol) Vol. 42 Pg. 101389 (Jun 2022) ISSN: 1879-3320 [Electronic] Netherlands |
| PMID | 34103240 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Review, Systematic Review) |
| Copyright | Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
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