Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Measuring the Motor Aspect of Cancer-Related Fatigue using a Handheld Dynamometer
Published on: February 20, 2020
Symptom assessment in cancer patients
1Siteman Cancer Center, Division of Medical Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, Box 8056, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. mnaughto@im.wustl.edu
Abstract:
Patients with cancer suffer from a multitude of symptoms. Effective treatment strategies are available for a number of the common symptoms. A major reason for inadequate symptom relief is lack of effective symptom assessment. Accurate assessment of symptoms is necessary before any treatment can be undertaken. Although there are many complexities involved in the assessment of symptoms, simple, effective tools are available for identification and scoring of symptoms in clinical practice. This review describes recent advances in the study of symptom assessment in cancer patients. Several common symptoms are presented individually, followed by an overview of efforts addressing the assessment of multiple symptoms. Also, new tools in the evaluation of symptoms, including computer-based questionnaires, are discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Assessment of Respiration
Subjective Assessment: Nurses interview the patient to gather information directly during the subjective assessment. It includes questions about the individual's medical history, medications, and symptoms, focusing on past respiratory conditions like asthma or COPD,...
What is Cancer?
Although people have known about cancer for centuries, it was only in 1761 that Giovanni Morgagni of Padua performed a detailed autopsy of patients who died from...
Assessment of the Gastrointestinal System I: Subjective Data
Health History
The initial step in assessing the GI system is obtaining a comprehensive health history. This includes inquiring about the patient's history or presence of problems related to...
Cancer Survival Analysis
Assessment of the Cardiovascular System I: Subjective Data
Initial Enquiry
Ask the patient about their primary concern and thoroughly explore all reported symptoms.
Medical History
Investigate past illnesses affecting the cardiovascular system, such as angina, anemia, rheumatic fever, congenital heart disease, stroke, thrombophlebitis, dysrhythmias, varicosities
Inquire about symptoms...
Angina III: Clinical Manifestations and Assessment
