Caring for the caregivers: breast and cervical cancer screening among informal caregivers of cancer patients - a scoping review

Sep 22, 2026

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Breast and cervical cancer remain leading causes of morbidity and mortality among women, making screening and early detection central to prevention. Screening uptake is shaped by multiple factors, and informal caregiving for a family member with cancer may further affect engagement. Evidence on breast and cervical cancer screening among women who are informal cancer caregivers is fragmented. This scoping review identifies influencing factors and interventions that enhance screening among informal caregivers of cancer patients.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Introduction

Prabhakaran et al. BMC Primary Care (2026) 27:245 BMC Primary Care [https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-026-03333-2](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-026-03333-2) RESEARCH Open Access Caring for the caregivers: breast and cervical cancer screening among informal caregivers of cancer patients – a scoping review Anusree Prabhakaran1, Edlin Glane Mathias2, Rithu Sathiyamoorthy1, Nishit Kumar Bebarta1, Shirley Lewis3 and Arathi P. Rao 1* Abstract Background Breast and cervical cancer remain major contributors to the global morbidity and mortality among women, with early detection through screening being the key to prevention. Multiple factors influence the screening uptake, and informal caregiving for a family member with cancer may further influence their engagement in cancer screening. Evidence on breast and cervical cancer screening among women who are informal cancer caregivers remains fragmented. Hence, this scoping review aimed to identify the factors influencing and interventions that enhanced breast and cervical cancer screening, among women who are informal caregivers of cancer patients. Methods Following the JBI methodology for scoping review, a comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and grey literature sources. A predefined set of inclusion and exclusion criteria was used to select the studies from across the globe. Data was extracted and narratively synthesised, with supporting tables and diagrams. Results Nine studies from Asia, Africa, Europe and North America were included. Though some studies reported that caregiving status was linked to greater uptake of breast and cervical cancer screening, lack of knowledge and fear of cancer diagnosis hindered screening for both cancers. Breast cancer screening was higher among older, educated caregivers and female relatives (e. g., sisters), and was facilitated by positive outcome expectations, goal setting, perceived self-efficacy, and social support. Fear of cancer recurrence presented a nuanced association; moderate fear enhanced age-appropriate breast cancer screening, while higher fear led to excessive screening. Cervical cancer screening was hindered by fear of pain, social consequences, cultural beliefs, stigma, privacy concerns, limited access to screening centres, and husbands’ hesitancy. A telephonic counselling by a trained nurse enhanced breast cancer screening; no interventions were found that enhanced cervical cancer screening in informal cancer caregivers, indicating a significant research gap. Conclusion Most identified factors mirrored those reported among the general female population, with limited exploration of caregiving-specific contextual factors, and caregiver-specific interventions for breast and cervical cancer screening remain scarce. Integrating physician-initiated education and counselling, and opportunistic *Correspondence: Arathi P. Rao[arathi.anil@manipal.edu](arathi.anil@manipal.edu) Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s) 2026. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.)[.](http://creativecommons.o

FAQs

What was the goal of this scoping review?

To identify factors influencing and interventions that enhanced breast and cervical cancer screening among women who are informal caregivers of cancer patients.

Which studies and regions were included in the review?

Nine studies from Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America were included.

What barriers affected screening for informal cancer caregivers?

Lack of knowledge and fear of cancer diagnosis hindered screening; cervical cancer screening was further limited by fear of pain, social consequences, cultural beliefs, stigma, privacy concerns, limited access to centres, and husbands' hesitancy.

Sep 22, 2026

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