A cross-sectional assessment of symptom burden among patients with advanced cervical cancer

The increasing burden of chronic non-communicable diseases in developing countries is driving attention to palliative care services. Identification of disease-specific symptoms of concern and their prevalence will guide designing, monitoring, and evaluating palliative care programmes. This study assessed the burden of symptoms and problems among patients with advanced cervical cancer.

This research followed a cross-sectional study design to quantitatively review the symptom burden among patients diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer attending treatment at Tikur Anbessa Specialised Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from January to July 2019. Symptoms were assessed using a patient-reported, seven-day recall Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale (IPOS) version III. Frequency, median and mean scores with a standard deviation were used in the descriptive analysis whereas t-test and one-way analysis of variance were used for comparisons.

There were 385 patients with advanced cervical cancer, stage IIB-IVB, successfully interviewed. The median age was 50 years, the majority were illiterate (63.1%) and in marital union (62.3%). Over 50% of the patients experienced pain, weakness, poor appetite, constipation, limited mobility, and dry mouth. The burdens of emotional symptoms such as patient anxiety, family anxiety, and patient depression were also prevalent at 79.7%, 82.3%, and 47.0%, respectively. Patients who are illiterate, at a higher stage of the disease, not currently in marriage, and who received palliative radiotherapy bear a higher symptom burden.

Patients with advanced cervical cancer bear a high symptom burden. Early initiation of palliative care is recommended to alleviate the concerning symptoms, and to improve patients' quality of life.