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Dunnack Yackel H, Xu W, Lee JW, Cong X, Salner A, Duffy VB, Judge MP. Symptom Patterning Across the Cancer Care Trajectory for Patients Receiving Chemoradiation for Head and Neck Cancer: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study Using Latent Transition Analysis. Cancer Nurs 2024; 47:261-270. [PMID: 36881642 DOI: 10.1097/ncc.0000000000001227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) experience a multitude of symptoms because of the tumor and its treatment. OBJECTIVE To identify the symptom patterns present in cancer treatment and survivorship periods for patients with HNC using latent class analysis. METHODS A retrospective longitudinal chart review was conducted to examine symptoms reported by patients who received concurrent chemoradiation for HNC in a regional Northeastern United States cancer institute. Latent class analysis was performed to identify the latent classes present across multiple timepoints during treatment and survivorship for the most commonly reported symptoms. RESULTS In 275 patients with HNC, the latent transition analysis revealed 3 latent classes for both treatment and survivorship periods: (1) mild, (2) moderate, and (3) severe symptoms. Patients were more likely to report a greater number of symptoms in a more severe latent class. During treatment, moderate and severe classes had representation of all most common symptoms: pain, mucositis, taste alterations, xerostomia, dysphagia, and fatigue. Different symptom patterns emerged for survivorship, with prominence of taste alterations and xerostomia across all classes, and all symptoms present in the severe class. The probability of symptom expression varied more in the survivorship period compared with the treatment period. CONCLUSIONS Patients reported numerous symptoms during active treatment persisting into survivorship. Patients tended to transition to more severe symptomatology as treatment progressed and to more moderate symptomatology as survivorship evolved. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Examining the trend of persistent moderate symptomatology into survivorship is useful to optimize symptom management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley Dunnack Yackel
- Author Affiliations: School of Nursing (Drs Dunnack Yackel, Xu, Cong, and Judge) and Department of Statistics (Mr Lee), University of Connecticut, Storrs; Yale University, Orange (Dr Cong); Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute at Hartford Hospital, Hartford (Drs Dunnack Yackel and Salner); School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington (Dr Salner); and College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, University of Connecticut, Storrs (Dr Duffy), Connecticut
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to chronic stressors may contribute to the development of psychoneurological symptoms (i.e., fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, sleep disturbance, depressed mood, and pain) that can compromise maternal function. OBJECTIVES In two studies of low-income mothers, we investigated the presence of psychoneurological symptoms and explored associations between mothers' stressors and psychoneurological symptoms as well as between symptoms and function. We also considered the possible mediating role of the symptoms between stressors and function. METHODS We conducted secondary analyses of psychoneurological symptoms in two studies of low-income mothers of infants and toddlers in the United States. Study 1 sampled Latina women with limited English proficiency, whereas Study 2 was conducted with English-speaking women from diverse backgrounds. In both studies, symptoms were measured using items from the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey. Maternal function was measured through self-report and researcher observation. In Study 2, stressors were measured using the Everyday Stressors Index. Multiple linear regressions were used to investigate associations while controlling for relevant covariates. RESULTS In both studies, mothers endorsed a wide range of psychoneurological symptoms. In Study 1, psychoneurological symptoms had significant negative associations with role function, social function, and developmental stimulation. In Study 2, psychoneurological symptoms had significant negative associations with role function, social function, and physical function. Using Aroian test for mediation, we found that psychoneurological symptoms mediated all significant relationships between stressors and maternal functions in Study 2. DISCUSSION In two samples of low-income mothers, psychoneurological symptoms were prevalent and associated with chronic stressors and with maternal function and may mediate the association between those two factors. These findings extend prior research on depressive symptoms in mothers by investigating pain as an additional key symptom. The studies advance symptom science by highlighting psychoneurological symptoms in a heterogeneous sample without known health conditions.
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Li H, Schlaeger JM, Jang MK, Lin Y, Park C, Liu T, Sun M, Doorenbos AZ. Acupuncture Improves Multiple Treatment-Related Symptoms in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Altern Complement Med 2021; 27:1084-1097. [PMID: 34449251 DOI: 10.1089/acm.2021.0133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Acupuncture has demonstrated effectiveness for symptom management among breast cancer survivors. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effect of acupuncture on treatment-related symptoms among breast cancer survivors. Methods: The authors searched PubMed, CINAHL, and EMBASE for relevant randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of acupuncture for managing treatment-related symptoms published in English through June 2021. They appraised the quality of each article using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Criteria. The primary outcomes were pain, hot flashes, sleep disturbance, fatigue, depression, lymphedema, and neuropathy as individual symptoms. They also evaluated adverse events reported in acupuncture studies. Results: Of 26 selected trials (2055 patients), 20 (1709 patients) were included in the meta-analysis. Acupuncture was more effective than control groups in improving pain intensity [standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.60, 95% confidence intervals (CI) -1.06 to -0.15], fatigue [SMD = -0.62, 95% CI -1.03 to -0.20], and hot flash severity [SMD = -0.52, 95% CI -0.82 to -0.22]. The subgroup analysis indicated that acupuncture showed trends but not significant effects on all the treatment-related symptoms compared with the sham acupuncture groups. Compared with waitlist control and usual care groups, the acupuncture groups showed significant reductions in pain intensity, fatigue, depression, hot flash severity, and neuropathy. No serious adverse events were reported related to acupuncture intervention. Mild adverse events (i.e., bruising, pain, swelling, skin infection, hematoma, headache, menstrual bleeding) were reported in 11 studies. Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that acupuncture significantly reduces multiple treatment-related symptoms compared with the usual care or waitlist control group among breast cancer survivors. The safety of acupuncture was inadequately reported in the included studies. Based on the available data, acupuncture seems to be generally a safe treatment with some mild adverse events. These findings provide evidence-based recommendations for incorporating acupuncture into clinical breast cancer symptom management. Due to the high risk of bias and blinding issues in some RCTs, more rigorous trials are needed to confirm the efficacy of acupuncture in reducing multiple treatment-related symptoms among breast cancer survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjin Li
- Department of Human Development Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, University of Illinois Cancer Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Judith M Schlaeger
- Department of Human Development Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Min Kyeong Jang
- Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, University of Illinois Cancer Center, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Biobehavioral Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yufen Lin
- School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Chang Park
- Department of Population Health Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Tingting Liu
- Eleanor Mann School of Nursing, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Min Sun
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Hillman Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ardith Z Doorenbos
- Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, University of Illinois Cancer Center, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Biobehavioral Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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