Life after treatment of cancer in the pancreas, duodenum or bile ducts. Patient perspectives and use of psychotropic medication in patients and their partners (2020)

Abstract

Patients with cancer in the pancreas, duodenum or bile ducts attend follow-up care after curative surgery. Knowledge about patient experiences and perspectives on follow-up care, and the psychological symptom burden in patients and their partners is scarce. This was investigated in four studies. We conclude that patients experienced a massive gut disruption after surgical treatment and percieved the blood test CA19-9 for detection of cancer recurrence as the focal point of follow-up care. Both patients and their partners had increased first psychotropic medication use throughout the follow-up care period, specially within the first six months after diagnosis. Partners were burdened by long-term insomnia symptoms.