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Identifying symptom clusters in paediatric cancer patients using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale
1Oncology Hospital, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. ataysevcan@gmail.com
Insights
Newly diagnosed pediatric cancer patients experience various symptoms and symptom clusters in the months following diagnosis. Understanding these symptom patterns is crucial for developing effective clinical guidelines for symptom management in children with cancer.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Clinical Nursing
- Cancer Symptom Science
Background:
- Pediatric cancer diagnosis significantly impacts children's well-being.
- Comprehensive understanding of symptom experience is vital for supportive care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine symptom prevalence, characteristics, and distress in newly diagnosed pediatric cancer patients.
- To identify symptom clusters in this population over time.
Main Methods:
- Descriptive correlational study involving 54 children aged 10-18 years.
- Data collected using Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale at 1, 2, and 3 months post-diagnosis.
- Cluster analysis used to identify symptom clusters.
Main Results:
- Common symptoms included lack of appetite, nausea, lethargy, hair loss, and sadness.
- Symptom clusters varied over time: 4 at 1 month, 5 at 2 months, and 4 at 3 months.
- Patients experienced a wide range of symptoms post-diagnosis and treatment initiation.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric cancer patients face diverse symptoms and evolving symptom clusters.
- Findings support the development of tailored clinical guidelines for symptom assessment and management.
- Early identification and management of symptoms are essential for improving quality of life in pediatric cancer patients.
Abstract:
This descriptive correlational study determined symptom prevalence, characteristics and distress in a sample of 54 children newly diagnosed with cancer in a paediatric oncology inpatient department and its associated outpatient clinics in Izmir, Turkey. Data were collected using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale 1, 2 and 3 months after diagnosis. Demographic data were collected using a questionnaire developed by the researchers while information on respondents' disease status and treatment regimens was obtained from medical records. Cluster analysis techniques were used to identify symptom clusters in the sample. The study identified a number of symptom clusters affecting children or adolescents (age range 10 to 18 years), although different clusters became apparent at each data collection point. The most common symptoms in newly diagnosed respondents were lack of appetite, nausea, lethargy, hair loss and feelings of sadness. Four symptom clusters were apparent 1 month after diagnosis, five in the second month and four in the third month. The study demonstrated that respondents experienced a wide range of symptoms in the months immediately following a cancer diagnosis and the start of treatment, which are findings that can be used to develop clinical guidelines for symptom assessment and management in children and adolescents with cancer.