Web-based Treatment Information Tool for People With Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is usually diagnosed at a late stage when it is incurable, thereby limiting treatment to palliative care. Chemotherapy is one of the standard palliative care options. Due to the availability of different regimens with varying degrees of benefits and risks, clinicians and patients with advanced pancreatic cancer usually discuss treatment options in order to arrive at the most appropriate chemotherapy regimen for the patient. The use of information tools has produced positive results in explaining the benefits and risks of different treatment options for diseases like stage IV lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and colorectal cancer. However, there is no such tool for people with advanced pancreatic cancer. With over 80% of people with pancreatic cancer being diagnosed in the advanced stage, it would be beneficial to enhance effective decision-making with respect to treatment at this challenging time of the disease progression. The aim of this research is to investigate the potential of a web-based information tool to support decision-making about treatment options for people who have been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer. A multiphase mixed methods design has been adopted for this research study. The identified phases are: (1) systematic review and network meta-analysis of reported randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in advanced pancreatic cancer; (2) focus groups/personal interviews with clinicians, and semi-structured interviews with patients and their relatives; (3) web-based information tool development; and (4) pilot test of the developed information tool with clinicians, patients, and relatives of patients