Background: Cholangiocarcinomas (CC) are highly lethal cancers that account for approximately 3% of all gastrointestinal cancers and are the 2nd most common primary liver cancer, accounting for 15% of all liver diagnoses. The incidence is 8 and 3.5 per 100,000 in the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) respectively. This collaboration aims to establish the key care aspects for CC patients and to develop evidence-based guidelines for nurses and physicians caring for patients diagnosed with CC. Objectives: (I) assist nurses and physicians in implementing evidence-based care, with focus upon surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, a clinical trial and supportive care; (II) assist nurses and physicians managing symptoms of biliary obstruction, and toxicities from treatment.
Methods: A collaboration of nursing professionals from major cancer academic centers in the US and the UK identified key concepts of care to be developed into the first cohort of Clinical Nursing Practice Guidelines. A comprehensive review was performed, utilizing scientific and medical databases, there was also inclusion of institutional practices which resulted in group consensus upon content, evidence-based scoring system, and approval by the Cholangiocarcinoma Medical Advisory Board.
Results: Evidence-based guidelines for nursing practice were developed which included: care of the patient receiving chemotherapy and radiation, education and care for patients with treatment toxicities including radiation and chemotherapy, and care of the patient with cholangitis.
Conclusions: Evidenced based guidelines were developed and published to improve the scientific knowledge of nursing professionals to care competently and confidently for patients with Cholangiocarcinoma. These evidence based guidelines provide a springboard for further research in the implementation of such and for quality improvement studies in the nursing standard of care for these patients.
