ROLE OF FAMILY MEDICINE IN CANCER PATIENT CARE: A REVIEW
NISREEN OMAR ASRAF *
Family Medicine, National Guard Hospital, Primary Health Care (Specialized Poly Clinic), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
FARAH NAJEH ALSHAMMARI
Working at Domat AL-GANDAL General Hospital, Saudi Arabia.
SARAH MOHAMMED M ALJAZAERY
GP, Prince Mohammed Bin Nasser Hospital, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
NUJUD MOHAMMED ALKHERAIJI
GP, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia.
ALI HASSAN ALBAYAT
Dammam Medical Complex, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
ABDULLAH MOHAMMED ALWADAI
King Khalid Hospital, Najran, Saudi Arabia.
ALI ABDULAZEEM HABEEB
Safwa General Hospital, Saudi Arabia.
MOHAMMED KHALID ALGHAMDI
Children’s Hospital, Taif, Saudi Arabia.
ABEER ALI M ALSUBHI
Almadina General Hospital, Saudi Arabia.
SHROOG KHASHMAN ALSHAMMARI
AJA PHC, Hail, Saudi Arabia.
ABLAA MUBARAK OBAID ALKORBI
King Khalid Hospital, Najran, Saudi Arabia.
ZAINAB ABDULMOHSEN ALMUALLEM
Qatif Sector Primary Health Care, Saudi Arabia.
DAFER ABDULRHMAN DAFER ALSHEHRI
Armed Forces Hospital Southern Region, Saudi Arabia.
AHMAD IBRAHIM ABALKHAIL
Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, College of Medicine, Saudi Arabia.
LAMA GHASSAN ABDULLAH
Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
According to one definition, Family Medicine is a specialty that provides the provision of ongoing, comprehensive medical treatment to patients within the setting of their families and communities. Acute and chronic care, identification of family and social needs, long-term support, epidemiologic awareness, and treatment of unexplained illness are all included in continuing whole-patient care. This review aimed to summarize the updated evidence considering the role of Family Medicine in the care and management of cancer patients. PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, EBSCO, SCOPUS, Wiley, and Cochrane Library were searched. Study articles were screened by title and abstract then a full-text assessment was implemented. Family Physician (FP) plays a crucial part in providing care for a patient with cancer. There have been many different roles for doctors identified, and these responsibilities differ greatly depending on whether the practice takes place in an urban or rural clinical setting. Alongside surgical, medical, and radiation oncology specialists, FPs commonly provide care for patients with breast and gastrointestinal cancer. They also work with gynecologic, hematologic, and paediatric cancer patient populations. The management of treatment-related physical and psychosocial side effects, the provision of follow-up care for cancer survivors, and palliative medicine are examples of typical tasks and responsibilities. In addition, the FP support clinical trials, research focused on genetics, and high-risk population cancers.
Keywords: Family medicine, family physician, provided care, cancer patients