Impact of gastric cancer treatment on quality of life of patients

Patients' experiences in early satiety after total gastrectomy for gastric cancer: a phenomenological study

Introduction

This study examines how gastric cancer patients adjust their eating habits and quality of life after total gastrectomy, particularly concerning early satiety. While total gastrectomy may provide a potential cure, it also leads to significant physical, psychological, and social changes. Understanding these adaptations is essential for enhancing survivorship care.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative study utilizing a phenomenological approach to gain insights into the lived experiences of gastric cancer patients following total gastrectomy. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed to identify key themes related to eating habits and quality of life.

Results

Four core themes emerged: (1) Ineluctability of bodily transformations-patients experienced significant disruptions to their bodily identity; (2) Feelings of weaning and loss of habits-a sense of mourning for lost routines and pleasures; (3) Redefining habits-the process of adapting to new eating patterns; and (4) Experiencing tentative conviviality-struggles to restore social interactions around meals. Social anxiety, particularly regarding dining outside the home, was a notable challenge. Family caregivers played complex roles, providing both support and unintentional obstacles.

Discussion

The findings highlight the multifaceted impact of total gastrectomy on patients' lives, influencing their physical health, psychological well-being, and social dynamics. Survivorship care plans should consider these aspects to facilitate adaptation. Targeted interventions, such as nutritional counseling, telemonitoring, and digital tools, are suggested to assist patients in adjusting to post-gastrectomy life. These strategies could enhance quality of life and promote improved physical, psychological, and social well-being integration.

Function Preserving Gastrectomy and Quality of Life

Advances in gastric cancer screening have enabled earlier detection, shifting the focus of treatment toward preserving patients' quality of life (QoL). Function-preserving gastrectomy (FPG), including pylorus-preserving gastrectomy, proximal gastrectomy, and sentinel node navigation surgery, represents a paradigm shift in the surgical management of early gastric cancer. These techniques aim to balance oncological safety with the preservation of gastric function, mitigating postgastrectomy syndromes such as dumping syndrome, bile reflux, and nutritional deficiencies. QoL assessment tools, including EORTC QLQ-STO22, KOQUSS-40, and PGSAS-45, have become integral for evaluating patient-reported outcomes, providing insights into physical, emotional, and functional recovery. Although current evidence underscores the benefits of FPG, most studies are limited to East Asia, highlighting the need for multinational trials to validate these findings globally. FPG has demonstrated comparable short- and long-term oncological outcomes to conventional gastrectomy. Enhanced nutritional recovery and reduced gastrointestinal sequelae make FPG increasingly attractive. However, its widespread adoption is challenged by technical complexity, resource intensity, and the need for adequate surgical experience. The integration of advanced technologies, such as robotic surgery and artificial intelligence, coupled with personalized approaches, is expected to further optimize FPG outcomes. This review underscores the critical role of standardized QoL assessments, collaborative research, and technological innovations in advancing FPG as a cornerstone of patient-centered gastric cancer care.

Morbidity and quality of life of totally laparoscopic versus laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer: a multi-center prospective randomized controlled trial (CKLASS01)

BACKGROUND

There is a paucity of confirmatory randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the effectiveness of totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (TLDG) vs laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) for early gastric cancer (EGC).

METHODS

A phase III, prospective, multi-center RCT was conducted, wherein patients (n = 442) with clinical stage I gastric cancer eligible for laparoscopic distal gastrectomy were randomized 1:1 to the TLDG or the LADG group. Postoperative morbidity and quality of life (QoL) were compared.

RESULTS

In total, 422 patients were assessed (TLDG, 216; LADG, 206) in the modified intention-to-treat (mITT) analysis. The morbidity rate did not differ significantly between the two groups (TLDG, 6.0%; LADG, 5.8%; P = 0.93). The 90-day mortality rate was comparable between the groups (TLDG, 0.5%; LADG, 0.0%; P > 0.99). TLDG was significantly associated with a lower pain score compared with LADG in patients with a BMI of ≥ 25 kg/m2 (P = 0.002) at 24 h postoperatively. Moreover, TLDG significantly improved QoL in terms of C30 social functioning at 3 and 6 months (P = 0.03 and P = 0.04), C30 global health status at 3 months (P = 0.02), and STO22 body image at 3 months (P = 0.01), with differences dissipating at 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS

TLDG is not superior to LADG in terms of postoperative morbidity and mortality, but it provides better C30 social functioning at 3 and 6 months, C30 global health status and STO22 body image at 3 months, and reduces early postoperative pain for patients with a BMI of ≥ 25 kg/m2.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03393182.

Effectiveness of Postoperative Dietary Intervention in Patients with Gastric Cancer who Underwent Gastrectomy: Quasi-Experimental Study Design

OBJECTIVES

This article aims to investigate the effects of a postoperative dietary intervention on fatigue, self-efficacy in managing gastrointestinal side effects, self-efficacy for nutritional management, self-care activity, and unmet nursing needs among patients with gastric cancer who have undergone gastrectomy.

METHODS

We used a quasi-experimental study design (nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest). Data were collected from 59 patients with gastric cancer (30 in the experimental group and 29 in the control patients) hospitalized for gastrectomy in Daegu, South Korea. The control group completed a preintervention survey, received routine care, and then completed a postintervention survey. After the control group finished their routine care and tests, the experimental group received a postoperative dietary intervention. This intervention included individual face-to-face education and telephone counseling on managing gastrectomy side effects, eating methods to prevent symptoms, foods to avoid, ways to consume sufficient calories, maintaining a balanced diet, and pledge writing. The control group served as a waitlist control. After all interventions and tests for the experimental group were completed, the same dietary intervention was offered to the control group upon their request. This experimental study was conducted from June 2021 to February 2023.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the experimental group showed significant improvements in fatigue (P = .005), self-efficacy in managing gastrointestinal side effects (P < .001), self-efficacy for nutritional management (P = .03), self-care activity (P < .001), and unmet nursing needs (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Postoperative dietary interventions contribute to improving self-efficacy, fatigue levels, and self-care activity among patients with gastric cancer.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Upon discharge, implementing a needs-based and loss-framed message-based dietary intervention, alongside routine discharge education, for patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer can enhance fatigue levels, self-efficacy in managing nutrition and gastrointestinal side effects, self-care activity, and unmet nursing needs.

Risk prediction model for gastric cancer within 5 years in healthy Korean adults

BACKGROUND

Although endoscopy is commonly used for gastric cancer screening in South Korea, predictive models that integrate endoscopy results are scarce. We aimed to develop a 5-year gastric cancer risk prediction model using endoscopy results as a predictor.

METHODS

We developed a predictive model using the cohort data of the Kangbuk Samsung Health Study from 2011 to 2019. Among the 260,407 participants aged ≥20 years who did not have any previous history of cancer, 435 cases of gastric cancer were observed. A Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to evaluate the predictors and calculate the 5-year risk of gastric cancer. Harrell's C-statistics and Nam-D'Agostino χ2 test were used to measure the quality of discrimination and calibration ability, respectively.

RESULTS

We included age, sex, smoking status, alcohol consumption, family history of cancer, and previous results for endoscopy in the risk prediction model. This model showed sufficient discrimination ability [development cohort: C-Statistics: 0.800, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.770-0.829; validation cohort: C-Statistics: 0.799, 95% CI 0.743-0.856]. It also performed well with effective calibration (development cohort: χ2 = 13.65, P = 0.135; validation cohort: χ2 = 15.57, P = 0.056).

CONCLUSION

Our prediction model, including young adults, showed good discrimination and calibration. Furthermore, this model considered a fixed time interval of 5 years to predict the risk of developing gastric cancer, considering endoscopic results. Thus, it could be clinically useful, especially for adults with endoscopic results.

Dynamics of Long-Term Quality of Life After Treatment for Esophageal Cancer: A Community-Based Patient Study

PURPOSE

To characterize the pattern of post-treatment quality of life (QoL) for esophageal cancer (EC) survivors and construct models predicting their long-term QoL.

METHODS

On the basis of a randomized trial in an EC high-risk region in China, we interviewed 363 EC survivors and 25,245 permanent residents matched with the survivors on age, sex, and township as the baseline. QoL was measured using three-level version of European Quality of Life 5-Dimensions instrument. We constructed piecewise mixed models estimating the QoL of EC survivors that varied by age, sex, patient type, hospital level, and therapy to ascertain QoL determinants.

RESULTS

The post-treatment QoL of EC survivors dropped by 15.7% within the first year and recovered by 9.3% between 1 and 9 years compared with the baseline. Therapy was found to be a determinant of QoL, and a series of therapy-specific models were fitted accordingly, which all showed the pattern of decreasing rapidly and recovering gradually. Endoscopic treatment had the least impact on post-treatment QoL (7.5% drop within 5 years) compared with esophagectomy (12.2% drop within 1 year) and chemoradiotherapy (37.8% drop within 2 years). The usual activities dimension showed the greatest impairment among those patients (34.4% drop within 1 year).

CONCLUSION

This community-based study described the long-term QoL trajectory for EC survivors after different therapeutic modalities and constructed models to predict therapy-specific QoL at different time points after treatment. It provided new insights into decision making in treatment for EC from the perspective of QoL protection, offering a convenient tool for estimating quality-adjusted life-years.

Traditional Chinese medicine for gastric cancer: An evidence mapping

As a complementary and alternative therapy, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been playing a significant role in gastric cancer treatment. Data from individual systematic reviews have not been comprehensively summarized, and the relationship between certain interventions and outcomes are ill-defined. This study aimed to analyze the advantages of TCM interventions for gastric cancer by the method of evidence mapping. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific Journals Database, and Wanfang Database for systematic reviews of TCM treating gastric cancer up to December 31, 2023. We used Excel, Endnote 20, and Python software for the analysis of incorporated studies. We assessed the quality of included SRs by AMSTAR-2 and performed evidence mapping including 89 SRs, 1648 RCTs and 122,902 patients, identifying 47 types of interventions and 39 types of outcomes. From a visual overview, we displayed that most SRs reported beneficial effects in improving short- and long-term survival, myelosuppression, and immune function, even though the quality of evidence was generally low. The benefits of Brucea javanica Oil Emulsion Injection, ShenQiFuZheng Injection, XiaoAiPing, Astragalus-Containing TCM and Guben Xiaoji Therapy were found the most solid in corresponding aspects. Our findings suggest that although more rigorous clinical trials and SRs are needed to identify the precise effectiveness, integrating such evidence into clinical care of gastric cancer is expected to be beneficial.

The quality of life impacting factors in malnourished patients with gastric cancer

Introduction

Malnutrition is prevalent among individuals with gastric cancer and notably decreases their quality of life (QOL). However, the factors impacting QOL are yet to be clearly defined. This study aimed to identify essential factors impacting QOL in malnourished patients suffering from gastric cancer.

Methods

By using the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) to assess the nutritional status (≥4 defined malnutrition) of hospitalized cancer patients, 4,586 gastric cancer patients were ultimately defined as malnourished. Spearman method was used to calculate the relationship between clinical features and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). Then, univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to observe which factors affected QOL, and subgroup analysis was performed in young and old population respectively. In addition, we used univariate and multivariate logistic regression to explore whether and how self-reported frequent symptoms in the last 2 weeks of the PG-SGA score affected QOL.

Results

In multivariate logistic regression analysis of clinical features of patients with malnourished gastric cancer, women, stage II, stage IV, WL had an independent correlation with a low global QOL scores. However, BMI, secondary education, higher education, surgery, chemotherapy, HGS had an independent correlation with a high global QOL scores. In multivariate logistic regression analysis of symptoms in self-reported PG-SGA scores in patients with malnourished gastric cancer, having no problem eating had an independent correlation with a high global QOL scores. However, they have no appetite, nausea, vomiting, constipation and pain had an independent correlation with a lower global QOL scores. The p values of the above statistical results are both < 0.05.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that QOL in malnourished patients with gastric cancer is determined by female sex, stage II, stage IV, BMI, secondary and higher education or above, surgery, chemotherapy, WL, and HGS. Patients' self-reported symptoms of nearly 2 weeks, obtained by using PG-SGA, are also further predictive of malnourished gastric cancer patients. Detecting preliminary indicators of low QOL could aid in identifying patients who might benefit from an early referral to palliative care and assisted nursing.

The role of traditional Chinese medicine in postoperative wound complications of gastric cancer

Due to the high risks of postoperative complications brought on by gastric cancer, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a commonly used therapy, has exerted its vital role in postoperative recovery care. In this sense, this meta-analysis was conducted to explore the related documents about TCM's impact on gastric cancer postoperative recovery. During the research, we explored a total of 1549 results from databases PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science (WoS). Thirty-two clinical randomized trials (RCTs) were then selected and analysed for this meta-analysis by using the software RevMan 5.4 (under PRISMA 2020 regulations), with a population of 3178 patients. Data prove that TCM therapy reduced the risks for postoperative complications exposure by an estimated average of 19% (95% CI). Among the complications, TCM therapy suppressed the risks of wound infection and incisional infections by 53% and 48% respectively. Meanwhile, the patient's wound healing duration exhibited a significant reduction compared to those without TCM treatment, with a difference at around 0.74 days (95% CI). TCM also exerted its potential to strengthen the patient's immune and health conditions, leading to a significantly promoted gastrointestinal function in the patients with a shorter duration to release first exhaustion and defecation compared to those with no TCM therapy. In addition, similar promoted phenomena also exist in those patients with TCM therapy in terms of their immunity and nutritional conditions. These facts all indicate a positive impact of TCM therapy in clinical applications.

Molecular Classifications in Gastric Cancer: A Call for Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Gastric cancer (GC) is a heterogeneous disease, often diagnosed at advanced stages, with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 20%. Despite notable technological advancements in cancer research over the past decades, their impact on GC management and outcomes has been limited. Numerous molecular alterations have been identified in GC, leading to various molecular classifications, such as those developed by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Asian Cancer Research Group (ACRG). Other authors have proposed alternative perspectives, including immune, proteomic, or epigenetic-based classifications. However, molecular stratification has not yet transitioned into clinical practice for GC, and little attention has been paid to alternative molecular classifications. In this review, we explore diverse molecular classifications in GC from a practical point of view, emphasizing their relationships with clinicopathological factors, prognosis, and therapeutic approaches. We have focused on classifications beyond those of TCGA and the ACRG, which have been less extensively reviewed previously. Additionally, we discuss the challenges that must be overcome to ensure their impact on patient treatment and prognosis. This review aims to serve as a practical framework to understand the molecular landscape of GC, facilitate the development of consensus molecular categories, and guide the design of innovative molecular studies in the field.

Understanding the Quality of Life Among Patients With Cancer in Saudi Arabia: Insights From a Cross-Sectional Study

INTRODUCTION

Cancer patients' quality of life (QoL) significantly influences treatment response and mortality rates. Understanding QoL domains among patients with cancer and what affects it can help create interventions that improve QoL and ease patients' experience. This study measures the OoL among patients with cancer and influencing factors.

METHODS

A prospective cross-sectional questionnaire-based study included cancer patients aged >18 currently receiving treatment. The questionnaire collected social and economic data, followed by the validated Arabic version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-C30). Means and standard deviations for described numeric variables and frequencies and percentages described categorical variables. Analysis of variance, F-tests, and P-values were reported.

RESULTS

Among 182 cancer patients, 60% were female. Younger patients exhibited higher QoL in physical and role functioning (P = .016 and .03) and experienced more significant financial impact (P = .0144). Females reported more adverse effects from cancer symptoms, including fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and pain (36.7% vs 25.5%, P = .005; 20.6% vs 11.5%, P = .0186; 34.7% vs 25.1%, P = .0281). Single patients had superior QoL in physical functioning compared to others (P = .0127). Patients traveling long distances were more likely to face adverse financial consequences (P = .007). Asthmatic patients exhibited lower QoL in physical, role, and cognitive functioning (72.3 vs 37.8, P = .0147; 76.4 vs 22.2, P = .0024; 84.7 vs 44.4, P = .0038) and reported increased dyspnea and appetite loss (16 vs 55.6 and 26.1 vs 66.7, both P < .05).

CONCLUSION

Factors influencing QoL in Saudi cancer patients include age, marital status, gender, hospital distance, and chronic conditions. Thus emphasizing the necessity for personalized care strategies to enhance outcomes and alleviate the overall burden of cancer care.

Impact of systemic cancer treatment on quality of life and mental well-being: a comparative analysis of patients with localized and advanced cancer

INTRODUCTION

This study investigated the impact of systemic cancer therapy on the quality of life, mental well-being, and life satisfaction of cancer patients.

METHODS

This prospective study was promoted by the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) and enrolled patients with localized, resected, or unresectable advanced cancer from 15 Spanish medical oncology departments. Patients completed surveys on quality of life (EORTC-QoL-QLQ-C30), psychological distress (BSI-18) and life satisfaction (SWLS) before and after systemic cancer treatment.

RESULTS

The study involved 1807 patients, 944 (52%) having resected, localized cancer, and 863 with unresectable advanced cancer. The mean age was 60 years, and 53% were female. The most common types of localized cancer were colorectal (43%) and breast (38%), while bronchopulmonary (32%), non-colorectal digestive (23%), and colorectal (15%) were the most frequent among those with advanced cancer. Before systemic treatment, patients with advanced cancer had poorer scores than those with localized cancer on physical, role, emotional, cognitive, social limitations, symptoms, psychological distress, and life satisfaction (all p < 0.001), but there were no differences in financial hardship. Patients with localized cancer had greater life satisfaction and better mental well-being than those with advanced cancer before systemic treatment (p < 0.001). After treatment, patients with localized cancer experienced worsening of all scales, symptoms, and mental well-being (p < 0.001), while patients with advanced disease had a minor decline in quality of life. The impact on quality of life was greater on all dimensions except economic hardship and was independent of age, cancer location, and performance status in participants with resected disease after adjuvant chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, our study highlights that systemic cancer treatment can improve quality of life in patients with advanced cancer, while adjuvant treatments for localized disease may have a negative impact on quality of life and psychological well-being. Therefore, treatment decisions should be carefully evaluated on an individual basis.

Psychological distress as a risk factor for the efficacy of chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer patients

AIM

To assess the relationship between psychological distress and quality of life (QoL), cancer-related fatigue (CRF), and chemotherapy efficacy in advanced gastric cancer patients.

METHODS

Advanced gastric cancer patients (39 with psychological distress and 35 without psychological distress) completed the Distress Thermometer (DT), QoL, and CRF test before receiving chemotherapy and assessed the efficacy after completing 2 courses of chemotherapy.

RESULTS

Psychological distress was a significant factor in the efficacy of chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer patients (χ2 = 6.324; p = 0.042). Compared to advanced gastric cancer patients with no psychological distress, advanced gastric cancer patients with psychological distress had a poorer QoL (50.41 ± 6.17 vs. 60.01 ± 7.94, t =  - 5.882, p < 0.01) and more pronounced CRF (5.75 ± 1.16 vs. 3.22 ± 0.75, t = 11.231, p < 0.01) while receiving chemotherapy. FACT-G (p = 0.0035, r =  - 0.4568), as well as PFS (p < 0.0001, r = 0.6599), correlated significantly with efficacy for patients in the psychological distress group. The FACT-G (p = 0.0134, r =  - 0.4139) of patients in the no psychological distress group correlated significantly with efficacy.

CONCLUSION

Psychological distress has a negative impact on QoL, CRF, and efficacy and may be a potential risk for the efficacy of palliative chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer patients.

Patient-reported gastrointestinal symptoms following surgery for gastric cancer and the relative risk factors

Purpose

The study aims to assess the incidence of short-term patient-reported postoperative gastrointestinal symptoms (PGISs) after gastric cancer surgery and explore the relative risk factors for the symptoms.

Methods

Patients with radical gastrectomy were included for this retrospective and observational study. Symptoms extracted from the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory Gastrointestinal Cancer Module (MDASI-GI) were collected in postdischarge week (PDW) 1 and postoperative month (POM) 1. The distributing states of symptoms were analyzed in PDW1 and POM1. Logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors for PGISs.

Results

Among 356 patients with complete interviews, 156 (43.8%) patients reported abdominal distention in PDW1, which was significantly higher than patients in POM1 [103 (28.9%), p &lt; 0.001]. Pain (15.2% vs. 9.8%), dysphagia (5.6% vs. 7.0%), diarrhea (3.7% vs. 3.4%), and vomiting (2.5% vs. 2.8%) had no significant differences between PDW1 and POM1. Logistic models found that risk factors for PGISs were total gastrectomy [odds ratio (OR): 1.948; 95% CI: 1.097–3.459; p = 0.023] and disturbed sleep (OR: 3.116; 95% CI: 1.831–5.303; p &lt; 0.001) in PDW1 and female gender (OR: 1.726; 95% CI: 1.071–2.782; p = 0.025), total gastrectomy (OR: 1.729; 95% CI: 1.055–2.834; p = 0.030), and disturbed sleep (OR: 3.533; 95% CI: 1.757–7.106; p &lt; 0.001) in POM1.

Conclusions

The main symptom after gastric cancer surgery was abdominal distention. The relative risk factors for gastrointestinal symptoms after gastric cancer surgery were total gastrectomy and disturbed sleep. Timely symptom intervention may improve the quality of life of postgastrectomy patients.

LncRNA LINC02253 activates KRT18/MAPK/ERK pathway by mediating N6-methyladenosine modification of KRT18 mRNA in gastric cancer

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in gastric cancer (GC) progression. And understanding the role of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in tumorigenesis is an emerging field in cancer research. Here, we identified a novel oncogene, lncRNA LINC02253, in GC. LINC02253 expression was found to be significantly increased in GC. And LINC02253 expression was closely correlated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage of GC. Besides, GC patients with higher LINC02253 expression had worse 5-year overall survival. Additionally, LINC02253 promoted GC cell growth, migration and invasion both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we determined that LINC02253 increased KRT18 expression through enhancing the stability of KRT18 mRNA. Furthermore, LINC02253 increased m6A modification of KRT18 mRNA to stabilize KRT18 mRNA by recruiting m6A writer METTL3. And, rescue experiments revealed that KRT18 mediated the effects of LINC02253 on growth, migration and invasion of GC cells through activating MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. In conclusion, we demonstrates that oncogenic lncRNA LINC02253 positively regulates GC growth and metastasis via increasing METTL3-mediated mRNA stability of KRT18, extending the understanding of GC pathogenesis regulated by lncRNAs.

Symptom Clusters and Quality of Life in Gastric Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

CONTEXT

Although gastric cancer is one of the most common tumors worldwide, there is little knowledge about symptom clusters and quality of life (QoL) in this population.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives were to identify the symptom clusters in gastric cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, and explore their effects on QoL.

METHODS

Gastric cancer patients receiving chemotherapy were recruited. Data were collected using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale Short Form, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Gastric and the self-designed General Information Evaluation Form. The symptom clusters were extracted through the exploratory factor analysis. The influencing factors of symptom clusters and their effects on QoL were identified using multiple linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 322 participants were enrolled from three medical centers. Five factors were identified in this exploratory factor analysis based on symptom prevalence, namely fatigue related symptom cluster, epithelial symptom cluster, neurologic symptom cluster, malnutrition related symptom cluster and psychological symptom cluster (χ² = 31.470, P < 0.05). The affecting factors across symptom clusters and QoL subscales were relatively stable, but also different. Generally, fatigue related symptom cluster, malnutrition related symptom cluster and psychological symptom cluster demonstrated significantly negative effects on all aspects of QoL except social well being.

CONCLUSION

Five symptom clusters were identified in gastric cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in mainland China. The symptom clusters negatively contributed to the variance in all aspects of QoL except social well being. Further studies should examine interventions for symptom clusters, their influencing factors, and their effects on improving QoL.