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Cancer symptom assessment instruments: a systematic review
Jordanka Kirkova1, Mellar P Davis, Declan Walsh
1Harry R. Horvitz Center for Palliative Medicine, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
Summary
This systematic review identified 21 cancer symptom assessment instruments for clinical use. The available tools vary in scope and validation, indicating a need for further research in this area.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Clinical Research
- Health Outcomes
Background:
- Numerous instruments exist for assessing cancer symptoms.
- A systematic review was conducted to identify and evaluate these tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review cancer symptom assessment instruments published in English.
- To identify instruments suitable for clinical use.
Main Methods:
- Systematic search of multiple databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, EMBASE, BIOSIS).
- Inclusion criteria focused on instruments with symptom assessment as the primary outcome; quality-of-life instruments were excluded.
- Hand searches and related article searches supplemented electronic database searches.
Main Results:
- Twenty-one cancer symptom assessment instruments were identified, with some undergoing modification or validation.
- An additional 28 studies examined symptom prevalence and interrelations.
- Meta-analysis was not feasible due to heterogeneity in study design, outcomes, and validation.
Conclusions:
- Twenty-one instruments are deemed appropriate for clinical use, though they differ in symptom coverage and psychometric validation.
- Both comprehensive and brief instruments exist, with some tailored for specific symptoms or treatment-related issues.
- The diversity of instruments reflects varied clinical settings, and further research is warranted.