Symptom Clusters in Patients with Brain Tumors: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Symptom Science
• Evidence Synthesis

Background:

• Symptom clusters are prevalent in brain tumor patients.
• Understanding these clusters is crucial for managing patient well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify symptom clusters, their predictors, outcomes, and stability in brain tumor patients.
• To examine existing assessment tools and statistical methods for symptom cluster research.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across major databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library).
• Independent screening of titles, abstracts, and full texts by two reviewers.
• Data extraction and synthesis based on review objectives.

Main Results:

• Identified four clusters in primary brain tumors (lack of energy, affective, gastrointestinal, neurocognitive) and three in brain metastases (somatic stress, gastrointestinal, neurocognitive).
• Symptom clusters demonstrated longitudinal instability.
• Cluster severity negatively correlated with quality of life, performance status, and functioning; predictor information was limited.

Conclusions:

• Major symptom clusters are identified, but methodological variations hinder homogeneous inferences.
• Standardization of assessment tools and statistical methods is necessary for future research.
• Further research should clarify temporal trajectories, predictive factors, and mechanisms to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.