No Differences in Symptom Burden Between Colorectal Cancer Patients Receiving Curative Versus Palliative Chemotherapy

Kari Røhrl; Marianne Grønlie Guren; Christine Miaskowski; Bruce A Cooper; Lien My Diep; Tone Rustøen

doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2016.04.008

No Differences in Symptom Burden Between Colorectal Cancer Patients Receiving Curative Versus Palliative Chemotherapy

J Pain Symptom Manage. 2016 Oct;52(4):539-547. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2016.04.008. Epub 2016 Jul 26.

Authors

Kari Røhrl¹, Marianne Grønlie Guren², Christine Miaskowski³, Bruce A Cooper³, Lien My Diep⁴, Tone Rustøen⁵

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: kari.rohrl@medisin.uio.no.
² Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; K.G. Jebsen Colorectal Cancer Research Centre, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
³ School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
⁴ Department for Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Health Economics, Oslo University, Oslo, Norway.
⁵ Institute for Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Division of Emergencies and Critical Care, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.

PMID: 27470003
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2016.04.008

Abstract

Context: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Patients with CRC may have multiple cooccurring symptoms as a result of their disease or its treatment. Little is known about potential differences in symptom burden in CRC patients scheduled to receive curative versus palliative chemotherapy (CTX).

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to investigate the overall symptom burden of patients with CRC before their first CTX treatment or before the initiation of a new CTX regimen and to evaluate for differences in symptom occurrence, severity, and distress between patients with CRC who were scheduled to receive curative versus palliative CTX.

Methods: Consecutive patients with CRC were recruited (n = 120), and symptoms were assessed using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale before the initiation of the CTX. The most common symptoms that occurred in ≥30% of the patients were evaluated. Differences in occurrence rates and severity and distress scores between the curative (n = 68) and palliative (n = 52) patient groups were evaluated using binary logistic regression and ordinal logistic regression analyses, respectively.

Results: In both groups, patients reported an average of 10 cooccurring symptoms. Worrying (65%), lack of energy (59%), feeling drowsy (54%), feeling bloated (53%), pain (51%), and difficulty sleeping (50%) were the most prevalent symptoms. Problems with sexual interest had the highest severity and distress scores in both groups. For the 13 most common symptoms, no significant differences were found between the two patient groups on any of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale dimensions (i.e., occurrence, severity, distress).

Conclusion: Regardless of the reason for CTX, CRC patients experience a large number of cooccurring symptoms.

Keywords: Multiple symptoms; adjuvant chemotherapy; colorectal cancer; palliative chemotherapy; symptom burden; symptom distress.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
Colorectal Neoplasms / drug therapy*
Colorectal Neoplasms / physiopathology*
Cost of Illness
Female
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Middle Aged
Palliative Care*
Severity of Illness Index
Treatment Outcome
Young Adult

Substances

Antineoplastic Agents