A study of patients' experiences of side-effects associated with chemotherapy: pilot stage report

This paper reports findings from the pilot stage of a longitudinal descriptive study of problems experienced by day-patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment with the Day Ward, Worthing Hospital. Unlike the majority of studies in this field, this study allows documentation of all side-effects perceived by the patient as important, and is designed to follow the progress in incidence and severity of each problem through the treatment course. Preliminary findings show some 100 side-effects have been identified, with different problems being most troublesome for each treatment regime. Full data are provided. The study emphasises the importance of regime-specific data both in formulating clinical practice and in the provision of patient education.