Objectives: To review the incidence, risk factors, staging, and diagnosis of hepatobiliary malignancies and pancreas cancer as well as nursing challenges associated with managing patients with these tumors.
Data sources: Published research reports, epidemiologic data, patient management guidelines, and institution-based clinical tools.
Conclusion: While survival is slowly increasing, morbidity and mortality associated with hepatobiliary and pancreas cancers remains high. Further scientific study is needed to identify methods of detecting these malignancies earlier and to develop therapeutic approaches that will effectively decrease tumor burden while simultaneously palliating disease and treatment-induced consequences including both physical and emotional effects.
Implications for nursing practice: Nurses need to be familiar with the natural history of these diseases and current and future therapies to facilitate treatment decision-making when options are limited, anticipate and intervene in managing disease and treatment-induced effects, and support clinical research efforts.