The Brazilian Version of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) Is a Feasible, Valid and Reliable Instrument for the Measurement of Symptoms in Advanced Cancer Patients

Impact of Preoperative Counseling and Education on Decreasing Anxiety in Patients With Gynecologic Tumors: A Randomized Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of counseling and preoperative education on reducing anxiety in patients undergoing surgery for gynecologic cancer.

METHODS

In this randomized clinical trial, patients with gynecological tumors undergoing surgical treatment between 15 and 60 days preoperatively, were included. The group was randomized to receive preoperative routine orientation plus preoperative counseling and education by nursing (experimental group [EG]) or receive preoperative routine orientation only (control group [CG]). We stratified the groups by surgical approach: open, laparoscopy, and robotic. We excluded patients treated in another service and with the need for an intensive care unit after surgery. We used the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to evaluate symptoms of anxiety and depression. The severity of symptoms was evaluated using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS-Br).

RESULTS

We analyzed 54 women (CG 27, EG 27). No significant differences were observed regarding ESAS scores (total, physical, emotional, well-being, and anxiety) between preoperative and postoperative evaluation. However, in the EG, comparing the preoperative versus postoperative moments, there was a significant reduction in total, emotional, and anxiety scores of ESAS (p = 0.012; p = 0.003; p = 0.001). No difference in anxiety symptoms by HADS scale was noted between the two groups, comparing preoperative and postoperative moments, CG (40.7% and 22.2%) and EG (37.0% and 25.9%) (p = 0.78; p = 0.75), respectively. Also, in depression symptoms (HADS scale), we found no difference comparing preoperative and postoperative moments (p = 0.34; p > 0.99). When we stratified by surgical approach or time between intervention and surgery ( ≤ 15, > 15 to ≤ 30, and > 30 days), no difference was observed in the anxiety and depression symptoms evaluation, in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The preoperative education by nurse orientation reduced the total, emotional, and anxiety symptoms of ESAS score between preoperative and postoperative moments. However, by the HADS scale, there was no difference in anxiety and depression symptoms.

Effects of Dignity Therapy on individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Case studies

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the effects of Dignity Therapy (DT) on the physical, existential, and psychosocial symptoms of individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

METHODS

This is a mixed-methods case study research that used the concurrent triangulation strategy to analyze the effects of DT on 3 individuals with ALS. Data collection included 3 instances of administering validated scales to assess multiple physical symptoms, anxiety, depression, spiritual well-being, and the Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI), followed by the implementation of DT and a semi-structured interview.

RESULTS

The scale results indicate that DT led to an improvement in the assessment of physical, social, emotional, spiritual, and existential symptoms according to the score results. It is worth noting that the patient with a recent diagnosis showed higher scores for anxiety and depression after DT. Regarding the PDI, the scores indicate improvements in the sense of dignity in all 3 cases, which aligns with the positive verbal reports after the implementation of DT.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

This study allowed us to analyze the effects of DT on the physical, existential, and psychosocial symptoms of individuals with ALS, suggesting the potential benefits of this approach for this group of patients. Participants reported positive effects regarding pain and fatigue, could reflect on their life trajectories, and regained their value and meaning.

Decision tree algorithm to predict mortality in incurable cancer: a new prognostic model

OBJECTIVES

To develop and validate a new prognostic model to predict 90-day mortality in patients with incurable cancer.

METHODS

In this prospective cohort study, patients with incurable cancer receiving palliative care (n = 1322) were randomly divided into two groups: development (n = 926, 70%) and validation (n = 396, 30%). A decision tree algorithm was used to develop a prognostic model with clinical variables. The accuracy and applicability of the proposed model were assessed by the C-statistic, calibration and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

RESULTS

Albumin (75.2%), C reactive protein (CRP) (47.7%) and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) ≥50% (26.5%) were the variables that most contributed to the classification power of the prognostic model, named Simple decision Tree algorithm for predicting mortality in patients with Incurable Cancer (acromion STIC). This was used to identify three groups of increasing risk of 90-day mortality: STIC-1 - low risk (probability of death: 0.30): albumin ≥3.6 g/dL, CRP <7.8 mg/dL and KPS ≥50%; STIC-2 - medium risk (probability of death: 0.66 to 0.69): albumin ≥3.6 g/dL, CRP <7.8 mg/dL and KPS <50%, or albumin ≥3.6 g/dL and CRP ≥7.8 mg/dL; STIC-3 - high risk (probability of death: 0.79): albumin <3.6 g/dL. In the validation dataset, good accuracy (C-statistic ≥0.71), Hosmer-Lemeshow p=0.12 and area under the ROC curve=0.707 were found.

CONCLUSIONS

STIC is a valid, practical tool for stratifying patients with incurable cancer into three risk groups for 90-day mortality.

Mirtazapine versus Megestrol in the Treatment of Anorexia-Cachexia Syndrome in Patients with Advanced Cancer: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Phase II Clinical Trial

This study compared mirtazapine with megestrol in the management of cancer-related anorexia-cachexia syndrome in patients with advanced cancer. A randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial involving patients with advanced cancer and anorexia-cachexia syndrome was performed. Participants received mirtazapine 30 mg/day or megestrol 320 mg/day for eight weeks. The primary endpoint was the effect of mirtazapine on weight gain and the secondary endpoints were its effect on appetite, muscle strength, physical performance, body composition, adverse events, and medication adherence. Linear regression model with mixed effects was applied and a significance level of 5% was adopted. Fifty-two patients were randomized. Mean age was 65.8 ± 8.4 years. There was weight gain in 52% of the participants in the megestrol group and in 38% in the mirtazapine group after four weeks (p = 0.040). Appetite improved in 92% of the participants in the megestrol group and in 56% in the mirtazapine group after eight weeks (p = 0.007). In the sub-analysis by sex, women showed improvement in appetite (p < 0.001) and weight gain (p < 0.005) in the mirtazapine group, which was not observed in men. Mirtazapine appears to be inferior to megestrol in weight and appetite improvement. However, there may be a difference in the therapeutic response between sexes.

Validation of the Arabic Version of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System

Quality cancer care is a team effort. In addition, patients' symptoms change over the course of treatment. As such, the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) is a simple tool designed to quickly monitor symptom change. Here, we present the results from a two-phase study aimed at validating the Arabic version of the ESAS (ESAS-A). Phase one involved the creation of two versions of the ESAS with both reverse and forward translations by bilingual, native Arabic speakers as well as evaluation by an expert panel. The reconciled version was then administered to 20 patients as a pilot from which to create the final version, which was then used with 244 patients. Phase two for the ESAS-involved an ESAS-based validation of 244 adults aged 18 years and older who were diagnosed with advanced cancer; then, further validation was completed in conjunction with two other symptom survey tools, the EORTC-Pal 15 and the HADS. The ESAS-A items possessed good internal consistency with an average Cronbach's alpha of 0.84, ranging from 0.82 to 0.85. Moreover, the results of ESAS-A showed good agreement with those of EORTC QLQ- 15 PAL (r = 0.36 to 0.69) and HADS (r = 0.60 and 0.57) regarding anxiety and depression. We found the ESAS-A to be responsive to symptom change and a median time to completion of 3.73 min. The results of our study demonstrate that the ESAS-A is a reliable, valid, and feasible tool for the purposes of monitoring symptom change over the course of cancer treatment.

Development of a Patient-Reported Symptom Item Bank for Patients with Hepatobiliary or Pancreatic Malignancies: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Patients with hepatobiliary or pancreatic cancers often experience severe symptoms, resulting in a sharp decline in functioning, poor quality of life, and increased mortality risk. Early and effective management of symptoms allows a better quality of life and reduced mortality, depending on the selection of appropriate assessment of specific symptoms for a defined purpose. We aimed to develop a symptom measurement item bank for hepatobiliary or pancreatic cancers.

METHODS

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was applied to organize this systematic review. The articles validated patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for hepatobiliary or pancreatic cancer and published before December 2021 were retrieved from the Web of Science, PubMed, Embase databases and Cochrane Library. Items from the existing PROMs were selected and classified into different patient-reported symptoms based on the concepts and specific underlying constructs of the objects measured.

RESULTS

Sixteen unique PROMs were identified across the 29 eligible studies included in our analysis. Items from the literature review (14 PROMs with 421 items for which information was obtained) were selected and classified. As a result of this study, we developed a symptom item bank with 40 patient-reported symptoms and 229 assessment items for hepatobiliary or pancreatic cancer, and fatigue, pain and nausea were the most common symptom items.

CONCLUSION

We developed an item bank to assess the patient-reported symptoms of hepatobiliary or pancreatic cancer. This item bank could allow researchers to select appropriate measures of symptom and provide a basis for the development of a single-item symptom-measurement system.

Assessment of symptom intensity and psychological well-being of patients with advanced cancer undergoing palliative care in a Brazilian public hospital: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

The characterization of clinical-emotional aspects of advanced cancer patients is essential for palliative care. To date, there is scarce information regarding the socio-demographic and clinical profiles, as well as the quality of care given to hospitalized patients under this condition, particularly in South American countries. The objectives of this study were to analyze the socio-demographic profile, symptoms (including psychological well-being), and the quality of life of advanced cancer patients admitted to the oncology ward of the General Hospital of the University of Campinas, Brazil.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, patients were invited to fill the selected questionnaires such as Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) and Palliative Care Outcome Scale (POS). Descriptive analyses were performed, regarding socio-demographic profile, symptoms, level of information over treatment aims, and quality-of-life scores.

RESULTS

Fifty-nine patients were included, of whom 29 were male and 30 female, with a mean age of 58 years. Overall, 31.9% presented pain at the time of the interview, 52.5% depression, and 76.3% anxiety. The median individual scores for ESAS and POS (and interquartile range) were, respectively, 27 (17-41) and 14 (9-19). Patients with previous knowledge of treatment objectives reported worse depression scores in the ESAS (median 2 vs. 0, p 0.02), even when correcting for possible confounders.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

In contrast to current literature, in which pain is a prevalent report, depression and anxiety were more evident in this specific population of hospitalized patients. This framework reflects the need for valuing not only physical but also emotional symptoms to achieve the integrality of care.

Cancer-related fatigue measures in palliative care: A psychometric systematic review

INTRODUCTION

In palliative care, the prevention and relief of fatigue are regarded as crucial goals in patients with cancer.

METHODS

A systematic review was carried out according to the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments methodology. Searches were conducted in Medline (through PubMed), Web of Science, Open Gray, Scielo, Cochrane, CINAHL and EMBASE. All instruments found in each study were assessed using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments checklist and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.

RESULTS

A total of 5598 articles were identified in the different databases. In total, 57 studies describing 19 instruments were included in this study. The main properties evaluated were internal consistency, cross-cultural validity, hypotheses testing and responsiveness. All studies were evaluated with the Strobe scale with a score greater than 6 points.

CONCLUSIONS

According to the quality methodological results, Edmonton Symptom Assessment System, Problems and Needs in Palliative Care Questionnaire, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life 15-item Questionnaire for Palliative Care and Palliative Care Quality of Life Instrument are the recommended instruments used for assessing cancer-related fatigue in palliative care. PROPESRO registration number: CRD42020206783.

Sexuality and assessment of physical and psychological symptoms of older adults in outpatient care

OBJECTIVE

to analyze the relationship between affective and sexual experiences and the intensity of physical and psychological symptoms of older adults.

METHODS

observational, cross-sectional and analytical study, guided by the STROBE tool, carried out in a geriatric outpatient clinic. Sociodemographic and health questionnaire, Affective and Sexual Experiences Scale for Elderly, Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale were used. Descriptive statistical analysis and Spearman correlation were performed.

RESULTS

forty-five older adults participated, with a mean age of 73.8 years; most (91.1%) were married. The highest averages of symptom intensity were pain (4.9), anxiety (4.8), drowsiness (4.5), and a feeling of well-being (4.5). There was a negative correlation between sadness and the dimensions of sexual activity and affective relationships (rs=-0.365; p=0.014 and rs=-0.386; p=0.009) and between anxiety and sexual activity (rs=-0.308; p=0.040).

CONCLUSION

as sadness increases, affective and sexual experiences are less. The greater the anxiety intensity, the lower the sexual experiences.

New cancer cachexia staging system for use in clinical practice

OBJECTIVES

Previous attempts to classify cancer cachexia (CC) have demonstrated limitations regarding stages and diagnostic criteria. This study aims to develop and validate a new staging system for CC in patients with incurable cancer.

METHODS

This is an analysis of a database from a prospective cohort study of 1325 patients with advanced cancer referred for palliative care between 2016 and 2020. The cohort was randomly divided into two groups: Development (882 patients) and validation (443 patients) sets. A hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to distinguish different stages of CC in the development set. Next, the optimal cutoff points and ideal combinations of the most important factors associated with the CC groups (clusters) were ascertained. Finally, the relationship between the CC stages determined using the new system and body composition, quality of life, and overall survival was verified with the validation set.

RESULTS

The new system classified CC into three stages: Precachexia (10.8%), cachexia (57.8%), and refractory cachexia (31.4%), based on a combination of percentage weight loss in the past 6 mo (<15 or ≥15), body mass index (<21.0, 21.0-26.4, >26.4 kg/m²), and mid-upper-arm muscle area (≥38.0/≥35.5 or <38.0/<35.5 cm² in men/women, respectively). The new staging system enabled a clear classification of patients into three CC groups according to the outcomes analyzed. Outcomes of patients with refractory cachexia were significantly worse than those in the other groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This study presents a useful, valid system for CC staging in the clinical setting, and is also capable of predicting outcomes, including quality of life and overall survival.

Fatores Preditores de Sintomas Emocionais e Físicos Reportados por Pacientes Oncológicos

Resumo Neste estudo, avaliou-se a associação entre ansiedade/depressão (AD) e sintomas físicos reportados por pacientes oncológicos em quimioterapia. Pacientes foram avaliados quanto ao distress (Termômetro de Distress), AD (Escala de Ansiedade e Depressão), qualidade de vida (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-General) e sintomas (Escala de Avaliação dos Sintomas de Edmonton). Utilizou-se a regressão linear para identificação dos fatores associados a AD. Setenta e três pacientes (65,8% feminino, 58,9% baixa escolaridade e 83,6% estádio avançado) foram incluídos. Sono, respiração, dor, fadiga, bem-estar físico e emocional foram preditores de AD. A prevalência de ansiedade (20,5%) foi inferior à descrita na literatura e a de depressão (17,8%), equivalente. Os resultados ressaltam a importância de um planejamento terapêutico para direcionamento desses fatores de risco.

Validating a Patient-Reported Outcomes-Derived Algorithm for Classifying Symptom Complexity Levels Among Patients With Cancer

BACKGROUND

The patient-reported outcomes (PROs) symptom complexity algorithm, derived from self-reported symptom scores using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System and concerns indicated on the Canadian Problem Checklist, has not been validated extensively.

METHODS

This is a retrospective chart review study using data from the Alberta Cancer Registry and electronic medical records from Alberta Health Services. The sample includes patients with cancer who visited a cancer facility in Alberta, Canada, from February 2016 through November 2017 (n=1,466).

RESULTS

The effect size (d=1.2) indicates that the magnitude of difference in health status between the severe- and low-complexity groups is large. The symptom complexity algorithm effectively classified subgroups of patients with cancer with distinct health status. Using Karnofsky performance status, the algorithm shows a sensitivity of 70.3%, specificity of 84.1%, positive predictive value of 79.1%, negative predictive value of 76.7%, and accuracy of 77.7%. An area under the receiver operating characteristic of 0.824 was found for the complexity algorithm, which is generally regarded as good, This same finding was also regarded as superior to the alternative algorithm generated by 2-step cluster analysis (area under the curve, 0.721).

CONCLUSIONS

The validity of the PRO-derived symptom complexity algorithm is established in this study. The algorithm demonstrated satisfactory accuracy against a clinician-driven complexity assessment and a strong correlation with the known group analysis. Furthermore, the algorithm showed a higher screening capacity compared with the algorithm generated from 2-step cluster analysis, reinforcing the importance of contextualization when classifying patients' symptoms, rather than purely relying on statistical outcomes. The algorithm carries importance in clinical settings, acting as a symptom complexity flag, helping healthcare teams identify which patients may need more timely, targeted, and individualized patient symptom management.

Associations between baseline symptom burden as assessed by patient-reported outcomes and overall survival of patients with metastatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Serial symptom assessments using patient-reported outcomes may be challenging to implement in routine clinical practices. We aimed to determine if a single measurement of symptom burden at the time of metastatic diagnosis is associated with survival.

METHODS

We examined baseline patient-reported outcomes (within 90 days of diagnosis) of patients newly diagnosed with metastatic breast, lung, colorectal, or prostate cancer using the revised Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESASr) questionnaire. The ESASr was categorized into physical, psychological, and total symptom domains whereby scores were classified as none to mild (0-3) or moderate to severe (4-10). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were constructed to evaluate the effect of baseline symptom scores on overall survival.

RESULTS

We identified 1316 patients eligible for analysis. There were 181, 601, 240, and 294 patients with breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate cancer, respectively. Approximately one-quarter of all patients reported moderate to severe physical, psychological, and total symptom subscores. On multivariable Cox regression analysis, older age (P < 0.001), male sex (P = 0.002), primary lung cancer (P < 0.001), and smoking in the previous month (P = 0.007) were predictive of inferior overall survival as were baseline moderate to severe physical (hazard ratio, 1.49; 95% confidence interval, 1.16-1.90; P = 0.002) and total symptom subscores (hazard ratio, 1.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.81; P = 0.017).

CONCLUSIONS

A single assessment of baseline symptom burden using the ESASr in patients with metastatic cancer has significant prognostic value. This may represent a feasible first step towards routine collection of patient-reported outcomes in real-world settings where serial symptom measurements can be challenging to implement.

Validation of the Dutch version of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System

BACKGROUND

The Utrecht Symptom Diary (USD) is a Dutch and adapted version of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System, a patient-reported outcome measurement (PROM) tool to asses and monitor symptoms in cancer patients. This study analyses the validity and responsiveness of the USD and the cutoff points to determine the clinical significance of a symptom score.

METHODS

Observational longitudinal cohort study including adult in- and outpatients treated in an academic hospital in the Netherlands who completed at least one USD as part of routine care (2012-2019). The distress thermometer and problem checklist (DT&PC) was used as a reference PROM. Content, construct and criterion validity, responsiveness, and cutoff points are shown with prevalences, area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, Chi-squared test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and positive and negative predictive values, respectively.

RESULTS

A total of 3913 patients completed 22 400 USDs. Content validity was confirmed for all added USD items with prevalences of ≥22%. All USD items also present on the DT&PC demonstrated a good criterion validity (ROC >0.8). Construct validity was confirmed for the USD as a whole and for the items dry mouth, dysphagia and well-being (P < .0001). USD scores differed significantly for patients when improving or deteriorating on the DT&PC which confirmed responsiveness. Optimal cutoff points (3 or 4) differed per symptom.

CONCLUSION

The USD is a valid 12-item PROM for the most prevalent symptoms in cancer patients, which has content, criterion, and construct validity, and detects clinically important changes over time, in both curative and palliative phase.

Frequency and characteristics of drowsiness, somnolence, or daytime sleepiness in patients with advanced cancer

INTRODUCTION

Cancer-related drowsiness (CRD) is a distressing symptom in advanced cancer patients (ACP). The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and factors associated with severity of CRD. We also evaluated the screening performance of Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale-drowsiness (ESAS-D) item against the Epworth Sedation Scale (ESS).

METHOD

We prospectively assessed 180 consecutive ACP at a tertiary cancer hospital. Patients were surveyed using ESAS, ESS, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Insomnia Severity Index, and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale.

RESULT

Ninety of 150 evaluable patients had clinically significant CRD (ESS); median (interquartile ratio): ESS. 11 (7-14); ESAS-D. 5 (2-6); Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. 8 (5-11); Insomnia Severity Index. 13 (5-19); Stop Bang Scoring 3 (2-4), and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale-D 6 (3-10). ESAS-D was associated with ESAS (r, p) sleep (0.38, <0.0001); pain (0.3, <0.0001); fatigue (0.51, <0.0001); depression (0.39, <0.0001); anxiety (0.44, <0.0001); shortness of breath (0.32, <0.0001); anorexia (0.36, <0.0001), feeling of well-being [(0.41, <0.0001), ESS (0.24, 0.001), and opioid daily dose (0.19, 0.01). Multivariate-analysis showed ESAS-D was associated with fatigue (odds ratio [OR] = 9.08, p < 0.0001), anxiety (3.0, p = 0.009); feeling of well-being (OR = 2.27, p = 0.04), and insomnia (OR = 2.35; p = 0.036). Insomnia (OR = 2.35; p = 0.036) cutoff score ≥3 (of 10) resulted in a sensitivity of 81% and 32% and specificity of 70% and 44% in the training and validation samples, respectively.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

Clinically significant CRD is frequent and seen in 50% of ACP. CRD was associated with severity of insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, and worse feeling of well-being. An ESAS-D score of ≥3 is likely to identify most of the ACP with significant CRD.

Impact of Palliative Care on Quality of End-of-Life Care Among Brazilian Patients With Advanced Cancers

CONTEXT

Many patients with advanced cancer experience aggressive care during the end of life (EOL). Several studies have evaluated the benefits of palliative care (PC) on the reduction of aggressive measures; however, limited data are available about their benefit in Brazilian patients.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the impact of PC on the reduction of aggressive measures at the EOL.

METHODS

Longitudinal study analyzed retrospectively medical records of patients who died of advanced cancer from 2010 to 2014. Data were obtained on PC referral and five quality-of-care indicators at the EOL; that is, emergency department visits, hospital admission, intensive care unit admission, use of systemic antineoplastic therapy within the last 30 days of life, and place of death in hospital as well as the use of a composite score for aggressiveness of care.

RESULTS

Of the 1284 patients, 832 (65%) received some aggressive measures in EOL care. Over the years, there was a reduction in the aggressiveness of care (score = 0: 33.2% vs. 47.1%; P < 0.001). Patients not seen by PC received greater aggressive care compared with patients consulted by PC (score ≥1: 87.4% vs. 52.8%; P < 0.001). Early PC was associated with less chemotherapy (P = 0.001) and fewer emergency department visits (P = 0.004) in the last 30 days of life, when compared with late PC. However, there were no demonstrated benefits to significantly reduce the composite score at EOL care aggressiveness.

CONCLUSION

Patients with an advanced cancer consultation by PC staff received less aggressive care at the EOL when compared with patients without PC.

Quality of Life of Patients with Advanced Cancer in Palliative Therapy and in Palliative Care

Objective: To assess the quality of life of patients with advanced cancer in palliative therapy and in palliative care. Materials and Methods: Quantitative, observational, cross-sectional, and analytic study conducted in a teaching hospital in Paraná, Brazil, from January to June 2018, with 126 patients: 107 in palliative therapy; 19 in exclusive palliative care. The questionnaires for data collection were: Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 15-Palliative, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Palliative Care 14, and Edmonton Symptom Assessment System. The Spearman non-parametric coefficient test was used for the analysis. Results: The overall quality of life in palliative therapy and in palliative care was, respectively, 71.54/59.65; when correlating the total score of quality of life of the Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 15-Palliative with the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Palliative Care 14 (p = 0.001), and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (p = 0.001), significant difference of better quality of life was observed in the palliative therapy. Conclusion: Patients in palliative therapy have good overall quality of life, while the palliative care group reports regular quality of life. The symptoms were milder in the palliative therapy and more intense and with greater significance in palliative care; hence, knowing the compromise of quality of life will help professionals in planning interventions with transdisciplinary approach for patients and for their families.

Transcultural Validation of the French Version of the Modified Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale: The ESAS12-F

Background: Cancer-related physical symptoms can decrease patients' overall quality of life and are often underdiagnosed. The Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) is widely used in palliative care for cancer patients to easily assess cancer patients' symptoms. It has been often modified, adding symptoms and explanations, and translated into many languages. The European Association of Palliative Care research team developed a database, which included the modified 12-item ESAS-r as the symptom assessment tool. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to achieve the translation and cross-cultural validation in French of the 12-item ESAS-r, the ESAS12-F. Design: A French version of the ESAS-r was developed using a standardized forward and backward translation method. Patients completed the ESAS12-F and provided feedback on the translation. Setting/Subjects: Forty-five patients with advanced cancer, followed by the palliative care team from the Lyon Sud University Hospital in France, were recruited. Results: Eighty-nine percent of patients considered the ESAS easy to understand. They highlighted some concerns more about the tool itself than the translation: the time line "now," the difficulty to quantify a symptom in a numerical evaluation. Some items (sleep and appetite) needed to be reread and for some others (digestive and psychological symptoms, and well-being) to be reordered in the questionnaire. Conclusion: The ESAS12-F is well accepted and easy to use for the cancer patients. The next step is to carry out a psychometric validation of the definitive version of the ESAS12-F.

PERCEPTION OF DIGNITY OF PATIENTS IN PALLIATIVE CARE

ABSTRACT Objective: to understand the perception of dignity of patients in palliative care and to identify factors that may increase or decrease the sense of dignity. Method: an exploratory study with a qualitative approach, carried in a Palliative Care Center in São Paulo (Brazil), with the Chochinov’s Dignity Model as theoretical framework and content analysis as methodological framework. The participants of this study were 20 patients in palliative care, assessed through semi-structured interviews based on three questions: "What is dignity for you?", "What increases your dignity?", "What decreases your dignity?" The interviews were recorded with the patients’ authorization, from September to November 2017, and transcribed for content analysis. Results: the analysis of the perception of dignity allowed the identification of three categories: Correct person, Autonomy/independence and Socio-political factors. The factors that increased the sense of dignity were the following: Care, Independence/autonomy, Leisure/positive thinking/being with friends. And those that decreased it were the following: Behaviors/attitudes, Health status and Economic situation. Conclusion: the perception of dignity of patients in palliative care was influenced by health professionals and caregivers. Being a “correct person”, maintaining autonomy, being cared for and respected has increased the sense of dignity. Urban violence and the lack of compliance with accessibility policies have reduced the sense of dignity among palliative care patients.

Cognition, functionality and symptoms in patients under home palliative care

OBJECTIVE

Evaluating the degree of cognition, functionality, presence of symptoms and medications prescribed for patients under palliative home care.

METHOD

Descriptive, cross-sectional study where 55 patients under palliative home care were interviewed. Cognition was evaluated using the Mini-Mental state examination (MM), with patients being separated into two groups: with preserved cognitive ability (MM>24), or altered (MM <24). The functionality was verified by the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) and the patients were divided into two groups: PPS≤50 and PPS≥60. The symptoms presence was evaluated by ESAS (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System) being considered as mild (ESAS 1-3), moderate (ESAS 4-6) or severe (ESAS 7-10) symptoms. Medications prescribed to control the symptoms were registered. Statistical analysis used Student's t test (p <0.05).

RESULTS

Most of the 55 patients were women (63.6%), 70.9% of these had MM> 24, 83.6% had PPS <50 and 78.2% presented chronic non-neoplastic degenerative disease. There was a significant relationship between PPS≤50 and MM≤24. Symptoms were present in 98% of patients. Asthenia was more frequently reported and was not treated in 67% of the cases. Severe pain was present in 27.3%: 46% without medication and 13% with medication, if necessary. Most patients with severe dyspnea used oxygen.

CONCLUSIONS

Most of the analysed patients had their cognition preserved, presented low functionality and 98% reported the presence of symptoms. Severe pain was present in almost 1/3 of the patients without effective treatment. Re-evaluate palliative home care is suggested to optimize patient's quality of life.

Symptom Burden and Palliative Referral Disparities in an Ambulatory South Texas Cancer Center

Background: The American Society of Clinical Oncology's recommendation for “dedicated palliative care services, early in the disease course, concurrent with active treatment” for cancer patients is a challenge for cancer centers to accommodate. Despite demonstrated benefits of concurrent care, disparities among socioeconomic and ethnic groups in access to supportive care services have been described. The aim of this project was to evaluate: (a) how insurance coverage and ethnicity impact patient symptom burden and, (b) how those factors influence palliative access for patients at a South Texas NCI-designated cancer center.

Methods: During a 5-month prospective period, 604 patients from five ambulatory oncology clinics completed the 10 question Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) surveys during their clinic visit. Patient demographics, ESAS scores, palliative referral decisions, and time to palliative encounters were collected. We compared symptom burden and time to consult based on ethnicity and insurance status (insured = Group A; under-insured and safety net = Group B).

Results: The mean ESAS score for all patients at the initial visit was 19.9 (SD = 18.1). Safety net patients were significantly more likely to be Hispanic, younger in age, and have an underlying GI malignancy in comparison to insured patients; however, the symptom severity was similar between groups with over 40% of individuals reporting at least one severe symptom. Twenty-one referrals were made to palliative care. On average, Group B had 33.3 days longer wait times until their first potential visit (p < 0.01) when compared to Group A. Time to actual visit was on average 57.6 days longer for patients in Group B compared to patients in Group A (p = 0.01), averaging at 73.8 days for safety net patients.

Conclusions: This project highlights the high symptom burden of oncology patients and disparities in access to services based on insurance coverage. This investigation revealed a 4-fold increase in the time to the first scheduled palliative care visit based on whether patients were insured vs. under-insured. While this study is limited by a small sample size, data suggest that under-insured oncology patients may have significant barriers to palliative care services, which may influence their cancer care quality.

Investigation into Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches for Turkish Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancer

The study was conducted to determine the levels of usage of complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches and the symptoms experienced by Turkish patients with gastrointestinal cancer. A descriptive study was conducted on 81 patients with gastrointestinal cancer attending the medical oncology department of an oncology hospital. In the data collection stage, the patient description form that prepared by the researchers and the "Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale" were used. Data were evaluated via Chi-square and student t test. It was determined that 55.6% of the patients with gastrointestinal cancer applied at least one CIH approaches, and these CIH approaches were praying (80.0%), herbal medicine (57.7%), a special diet (40.0%), therapeutic touch (15.6%), exercise (13.3%) and psychotherapy (4.4%). 68.8% of patients who used the CIH approach stated that they applied the CIH approaches in order to supplement the medical treatment, and 91.1% stated that they did not inform health employees about that they using the CIH approach. It was also found that the use of CIH approaches was not related to socio-demographic characteristics, disease characteristics and experienced symptoms. It is very important that patients with gastrointestinal cancer be questioned in terms of CIH approaches used.

How do professionals assess the quality of life of children with advanced cancer receiving palliative care, and what are their recommendations for improvement?

Background

It is known that information regarding the quality of life of a patient is central to pediatric palliative care. This information allows professionals to adapt the care and support provided to children and their families. Previous studies have documented the major areas to be investigated in order to assess the quality of life, although it is not yet known what operational criteria or piece of information should be used in the context of pediatric palliative care. The present study aims to: 1) Identify signs of quality of life and evaluation methods currently used by professionals to assess the quality of life of children with cancer receiving palliative care. 2) Collect recommendations from professionals to improve the evaluation of quality of life in this context.

Methods

We selected a qualitative research design and applied an inductive thematic content analysis to the verbal material. Participants included 20 members of the Department of Hematology-Oncology at CHU Sainte-Justine from various professions (e.g. physicians, nurses, psychosocial staff) who had cared for at least one child with cancer receiving palliative care in the last year.

Results

Professionals did not have access to pre-established criteria or to a defined procedure to assess the quality of life of children they followed in the context of PPC. They reported basing their assessment on the child’s non-verbal cues, relational availability and elements of his/her environment. These cues are typically collected through observation, interpretation and by asking the child, his/her parents, and other members of the care. To improve the assessment of quality of life professionals recommended optimizing interdisciplinary communication, involving the child and the family in the evaluation process, increasing training to palliative care in hematology/oncology, and developing formalized measurement tools.

Conclusion

The formulation of explicit criteria to assess the quality of life in this context, along with detailed recommendations provided by professionals, support the development of systematic measurement strategy. Such a strategy would contribute to the development of common care goals and further facilitate communication between professionals and with the family.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12904-018-0328-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Factors Associated With Attrition in a Multicenter Longitudinal Observational Study of Patients With Advanced Cancer

CONTEXT

Attrition is common in longitudinal observational studies in palliative care. Few studies have examined predictors of attrition.

OBJECTIVES

To identify patient characteristics at enrollment associated with attrition in palliative oncology outpatient setting.

METHODS

In this longitudinal observational study, advanced cancer patients enrolled in an outpatient multicenter study were assessed at baseline and two to five weeks later. We compared baseline characteristics between patients who returned for follow-up and those who dropped out.

RESULTS

Seven hundred forty-four patients were enrolled from Jordan, Brazil, Chile, Korea, and India. Attrition rate was 33%, with variation among countries (22%-39%; P = 0.023). In univariate analysis, baseline predictors for attrition were cognitive failure (odds ratio [OR] 1.23 per point in Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale; P < 0.01), functional status (OR 1.55 per 10-point decrease in Karnofsky Performance Status; P < 0.01), Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale [ESAS] physical score (OR 1.03 per point; P < 0.01), ESAS emotional score (OR 1.05 per point; P < 0.01), and shorter duration between cancer diagnosis and palliative care referral in months (OR 0.89 per log; P = 0.028). In multivariate analysis, cognitive failure (OR 1.12 per point; P = 0.007), ESAS physical score (OR 1.18 per point; P = 0.027), functional status (OR 1.35 per 10-point decrease; P < 0.001), and shorter duration from cancer diagnosis (OR 0.86 per log; P = 0.01) remained independent predictors of attrition.

CONCLUSION

Advanced cancer patients with cognitive failure, increased physical symptoms, poorer performance status, and shorter duration from cancer diagnosis were more likely to dropout. These results have implications for research design, patient selection, and data interpretation in longitudinal observational studies.

Cross-cultural adaptation and measurement properties of generic and cancer-related patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for use with cancer patients in Brazil: a systematic review

Purpose

This systematic review (1) identifies the current generic and cancer-related patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) that have been cross-culturally adapted to Brazilian Portuguese and applied to cancer patients and (2) critically evaluates their cross-cultural adaptation (CCA) and measurement properties.

Methods

Seven databases were searched for articles regarding the translation and evaluation of measurement properties of generic and cancer-related PROMs cross-culturally adapted to Brazilian Portuguese that are applied in adult (≥18 years old) cancer patients. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the COSMIN checklist.

Results

The bibliographic search retrieved 1674 hits, of which seven studies analysing eight instruments were included in this review. Data on the interpretability of scores were poorly reported. Overall, the quality of the CCA process was inconsistent throughout the studies. None of the included studies performed a cross-cultural validation. The evidence concerning the quality of measurement properties is limited by poor or fair methodological quality. Moreover, limited information regarding measurement properties was provided within the included papers.

Conclusions

This review aids the selection process of Brazilian Portuguese PROMs for use in cancer patients. After acknowledging the methodological caveats and strengths of each tool, our opinion is that for quality of life and symptoms assessment the adapted FACT-G version and the ESAS could be recommended, respectively. Future research should rely on the already accepted standards of CCA and validation studies.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11136-017-1703-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The feasibility and benefit of a brief psychosocial intervention in addition to early palliative care in patients with advanced cancer to reduce depressive symptoms: a pilot randomized controlled clinical trial

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and potential benefit of a brief psychosocial intervention based on cognitive-behavioral therapy performed in addition to early palliative care (PC) in the reduction of depressive symptoms among patients with advanced cancer.

METHODS

An open-label randomized phase II clinical trial with two intervention arms and one control group. Patients with advanced cancer starting palliative chemotherapy and who met the selection criteria were included. The participants were randomly allocated to three arms: arm A, five weekly sessions of psychosocial intervention combined with early PC; arm B, early PC only; and arm C, standard cancer treatment. Feasibility was investigated by calculating rates (%) of inclusion, attrition, and contamination (% of patients from Arm C that received PC). Scores of depression (primary aim), anxiety, and quality of life were measured at baseline and 45, 90, 120, and 180 days after randomization.

RESULTS

From the total of 613 screened patients (10.3% inclusion rate), 19, 22, and 22 patients were allocated to arms A, B, and C, respectively. Contamination and attrition rates (180 days) were 31.8% and 38.0%, respectively. No interaction between the arms and treatments were found. Regarding effect sizes, there was a moderate benefit in arm A over arms B and C in emotional functioning (-0.66 and -0.61, respectively) but a negative effect of arm A over arm C in depression (-0.74).

CONCLUSIONS

Future studies to be conducted with this population group need to revise the eligibility criteria and make them less restrictive. In addition, the need for arm C is questioned due to high contamination rate. The designed psychosocial intervention was not able to reduce depressive symptoms when combined with early PC. Further studies are warrant to evaluate the intervention on-demand and in subgroups of high risk of anxiety/depression.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinical Trials identifier NCT02133274 . Registered May 6, 2014.

Integrating Palliative Care Services in Ambulatory Oncology: An Application of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System

PURPOSE

Research in palliative care demonstrates improvements in overall survival, quality of life, symptom management, and reductions in the cost of care. Despite the American Society of Clinical Oncology recommendation for early concurrent palliative care in patients with advanced cancer and high symptom burden, integrating palliative services is challenging. Our aims were to quantitatively describe the palliative referral rates and symptom burden in a South Texas cancer center and establish a palliative referral system by implementing the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS).

METHODS

As part of our Plan-Do-Study-Act process, all staff received an educational overview of the ESAS tool and consultation ordering process. The ESAS form was then implemented across five ambulatory oncology clinics to assess symptom burden and changes therein longitudinally. Referral rates and symptom assessment scores were tracked as metrics for quality improvement.

RESULTS

On average, one patient per month was referred before implementation of the intervention compared with 10 patients per month after implementation across all clinics. In five sample clinics, 607 patients completed the initial assessment, and 430 follow-up forms were collected over 5 months, resulting in a total of 1,037 scores collected in REDCap. The mean ESAS score for initial patient visits was 20.0 (standard deviation, 18.1), and referred patients had an initial mean score of 39.0 (standard deviation, 19.0).

CONCLUSION

This project highlights the low palliative care consultation rate, high symptom burden of oncology patients, and underuse of services by oncologists despite improvements with the introduction of a symptom assessment form and referral system.

Screening for symptom burden and supportive needs of patients with glioblastoma and brain metastases and their caregivers in relation to their use of specialized palliative care

PURPOSE

Patients with brain tumors have a high symptom burden and multiple supportive needs. Needs of caregivers are often unattended. This study aims to determine screening-based symptom burden and supportive needs of patients and caregivers with regard to the use of specialized palliative care (SPC).

METHODS

Seventy-nine patients with glioblastoma and brain metastases and 46 caregivers were screened with standardized questionnaires following diagnosis and 2 months later. The screening assessed symptom burden, quality of life (QoL), distress, and supportive needs.

RESULTS

The most relevant symptoms were drowsiness, tiredness, and low well-being (53-58%). The most prevalent patient supportive needs were the need for information about available resources, the illness, and possible lifestyle changes (50-56%). The most prevalent caregiver needs were information about the illness, lifestyle changes, and about available resources (56-74%). Patients who received SCP and their caregivers had higher symptom burden and supportive needs than those without SPC. They reported moderate improvement in pain, distress, and QoL, while patients without SPC also improved their QoL, but had small to moderate deteriorations in pain, drowsiness, nauseas, well-being, and other problems. Distress of caregivers with SPC improved with moderate to large effect sizes but still was on a high level and remained stable for those without SPC.

CONCLUSIONS

Symptom burden and supportive needs were high, but even more caregivers than patients expressed high distress and supportive needs. SPC appears to reach the target group, both patients and caregivers with elevated symptom burden. Targeted interventions are needed to improve tiredness and drowsiness.

The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System 25 Years Later: Past, Present, and Future Developments

CONTEXT

Routine symptom assessment represents the cornerstone of symptom management. Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) is one of the first quantitative symptom assessment batteries that allows for simple and rapid documentation of multiple patient-reported symptoms at the same time.

OBJECTIVES

To discuss the historical development of ESAS, its current uses in different settings, and future developments.

METHODS

Narrative review.

RESULTS

Since its development in 1991, ESAS has been psychometrically validated and translated into over 20 languages. We will discuss the variations, advantages, and limitations with ESAS. From the clinical perspective, ESAS is now commonly used for symptom screening and longitudinal monitoring in patients seen by palliative care, oncology, nephrology, and other disciplines in both inpatient and outpatient settings. From the research perspective, ESAS has offered important insights into the nature of symptom trajectory, symptom clusters, and symptom modulators. Furthermore, multiple clinical studies have incorporated ESAS as a study outcome and documented the impact of various interventions on symptom burden. On the horizon, multiple groups are actively investigating further refinements to ESAS, such as incorporating it in electronic health records, using ESAS as a trigger for palliative care referral, and coupling ESAS with personalized symptom goals to optimize symptom response assessment.

CONCLUSION

ESAS has evolved over the past 25 years to become an important symptom assessment instrument in both clinical practice and research. Future efforts are needed to standardize this tool and explore its full potential to support symptom management.

A prospective study of changes in anxiety, depression, and problems in living during chemotherapy treatments: effects of age and gender

PURPOSE

Monitoring distress assessment in cancer patients during the treatment phase is a component of good quality care practice. Yet, there is a dearth of prospective studies examining distress. In an attempt to begin filling this gap and inform clinical practice, we conducted a prospective, longitudinal study examining changes in distress (anxiety, depression, and problems in living) by age and gender and the roles of age and gender in predicting distress.

METHODS

Newly diagnosed Brazilian cancer patients (N = 548) were assessed at three time points during chemotherapy. Age and gender were identified on the first day of chemotherapy (T1); anxiety, depression, and problems in living were self-reported at T1, the planned midway point (T2), and the last day of chemotherapy (T3).

RESULTS

At T1, 37 and 17% of patients reported clinically significant levels of anxiety and depression, respectively. At T3, the prevalence was reduced to 4.6% for anxiety and 5.1% for depression (p < .001). Patients 40-55 years, across all time points, reported greater anxiety and practical problems than patients >70 years (p < .03). Female patients reported greater emotional, physical, and family problems than their male counterparts (p < .04).

CONCLUSIONS

For most patients, elevated levels of distress noted in the beginning of treatment subsided by the time of treatment completion. However, middle-aged and female patients continued to report heightened distress. Evidence-based psychosocial intervention offered to at risk patients during early phases of the treatment may provide distress relief and improve outcomes over the illness trajectory while preventing psychosocial and physical morbidity due to untreated chronic distress.

Development and Testing of a Reliable and Valid Patient-Needs Questionnaire for Breast Cancer Inpatients in China

INTRODUCTION

Breast cancer patients are demanding more active roles in their care, especially in the initial diagnosis and treatment stages. At present, there is no suitable patient questionnaire that appropriately incorporates Chinese language, habits, and cultural differences.

AIM

To develop and validate a patient-needs questionnaire for female breast cancer inpatients in China.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The questionnaire structure was based on Maslow's model and a modern medical model. In the first step, a focus group was used to design 125 questions, of which 64 constituted the initial questionnaire for item screening with a group of 115 hospitalized patients with breast cancer. Items were included or excluded based on the evaluation of eight statistical analysis. Ultimately, 38 items were selected and validated. The reliability and validity of the 38-item questionnaire were determined in a cohort of 323 patients.

RESULTS

The scale was set up with the 38 selected items. The four primary areas were disease knowledge, medical environment, psychosocial parameters and sexual attitudes. Cronbach's coefficient was 0.959. The split-half reliability value was 0.935. Principal component factor analysis extracted four common factors.

CONCLUSION

Our new questionnaire, designed to assess the care needs of Chinese inpatients with breast cancer is reliable, sensitive, effective, independent and representative. It can be used in medical practice as a tool for a more complete assessment of patients' needs.

Stability and Repeatability of the Distress Thermometer (DT) and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-Revised (ESAS-r) with Parents of Childhood Cancer Survivors

OBJECTIVE

Parents report psychological distress in association with their child's cancer. Reliable tools are needed to screen parental distress over the cancer trajectory. This study aimed to estimate the stability and repeatability of the Distress Thermometer (DT) and the Depression and Anxiety items of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-revised (ESAS-r-D; -A) in parents of children diagnosed with cancer.

METHODS

Fifty parents (28 mothers, median age = 44) of clinically stable survivors of childhood solid and brain tumours completed questionnaires about their own distress (DT, ESAS-r-D; -A, Brief Symptom Inventory-18: BSI-18, Patient Health Questionnaire-9: PHQ-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7: GAD-7) and their children's quality of life (QoL; Peds Quality of Life: PedsQL) twice, with a month interval between the two assessments. At retest, parents also evaluated life events that occurred between the two time points. Hierarchical regressions explored moderators for the temporal stability of test measures.

RESULTS

Stability estimates were ICC = .78 for the DT, .55 for the ESAS-r-D, and .47 for the ESAS-r-A. Caseness agreement between test and retest was substantial for the DT, fair for the ESAS-r-D, and slight for the ESAS-r-A. Repeatability analyses indicated that the error range for the DT was more than 2 pts below/above actual measurement, whereas it was more than 3 pts for the ESAS-r-A, and 2.5 for the ESAS-r-D. Instability of the DT could be explained by changes in children's physical QoL, but not by other components of QoL or life events. No moderators of stability could be identified for the ESAS-r items.

CONCLUSIONS

The DT appears to be a fairly stable measure when the respondent's condition is stable yet with a relatively wide error range. Fluctuations in distress-related constructs may affect the temporal stability of the DT. The lower stability of ESAS-r items may result from shorter time-lapse instructions resulting in a greater sensitivity to change. Findings support future research on the DT as a reliable instrument in caregivers.

Personalized symptom goals and response in patients with advanced cancer

BACKGROUND

Improving symptoms is a major goal of cancer medicine; however, symptom response is often based on group differences and not individualized. In the current study, the authors examined the personalized symptom goal (PSG) for 10 common symptoms in patients with advanced cancer, and identified the factors associated with PSG response.

METHODS

In this prospective, longitudinal, multicenter study, patients from 5 tertiary care hospitals rated the intensity of 10 symptoms using a numeric rating scale of 0 to 10 at the time of their first clinic visit and then at a second visit 14 to 34 days later. The PSG was determined for each symptom by asking patients: "At what level would you feel comfortable with this symptom?" using the same scale of 0 to 10 for symptom intensity. PSG response was defined as symptom intensity at the time of the second visit that was less than or equal to the PSG.

RESULTS

Among 728 patients, the median PSG was 1 for nausea; 2 for depression, anxiety, drowsiness, well-being, dyspnea, and sleep; and 3 for pain, fatigue, and appetite. A greater percentage of patients achieved a PSG response at their second visit compared with their first visit (P<.05 except for drowsiness). Symptom response was associated with lower baseline symptom intensity based on PSG criterion but higher baseline symptom intensity based on the traditional minimal clinically important difference definition (P<.001 for all symptoms). In multivariable analysis, higher PSG and nationality were associated with greater PSG response.

CONCLUSIONS

The PSG was ≤3 for a majority of patients. PSG response allows clinicians to tailor treatment goals while adjusting for individual differences in scale interpretation and factors associated with symptom response. Cancer 2016;122:1774-81. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Impact of Clinical Pharmacy Services on KAP and QOL in Cancer Patients: A Single-Center Experience

This study was to evaluate the efficacy of pharmaceutical intervention (PI) on chemotherapy knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP) and quality of life (QOL) in cancer patients. A prospective, randomized, controlled study was carried out at Oncology Ward in a tertiary hospital affiliated to Southern Medical University, China. Eligible patient was randomly assigned to pharmaceutical intervention (PI) group or control group. Each patient in PI group was given information booklets and was given 30 min face-to-face medication education and psychological counseling by clinical pharmacists, 2 sessions per week for 2 months. Patients in control group only received conventional treatment. All participants were asked to complete a structured Chemotherapy KAP Questionnaire and QOL Questionnaire at pre- and poststudy time. A total of 149 cancer patients (77 in PI group and 72 in control group) completed the study. The baseline scores of KAP and QOL in 2 groups were similar. At the end of study, only knowledge score was significantly increased; meanwhile no difference existed for attitude, practice, and QOL scores in control group; both KAP scores and QOL score were significantly increased in PI group. As for the between-group comparison, both KAP scores and QOL score in PI group were significantly higher than those in control group. In conclusion, pharmaceutical intervention has a positive role in increasing chemotherapy-related knowledge, improving patients' positive emotions, dealing with chemotherapy adverse reactions, and improving the quality of life of patients.