Background: This study analyses the levels of distress and related psychosocial factors among cancer patients during the Spanish lockdown due to COVID-19. Methods: A total of 2,779 cancer patients took part in an observational and lateral study carried out between April 16, 2020 and April 25, 2020. An online questionnaire was distributed including distress-related variables, demographic variables, clinical variables about their oncological condition, socioeconomic variables and variables related to information management and social communication. Distress was measured according to the Kessler (K-6) scale, and its relationship with the remaining variables was analyzed by logistic regression. Results: 33.5% of the patients yielded levels of clinical distress during lockdown. Younger patients and women yielded significantly higher levels of distress. High distress levels were generally associated with the following factors: trust in medical institutions; deterioration of the household's financial conditions; and media management of the information about the pandemic. Conclusions: The lockdown triggered by COVID-19 increased distress among cancer patients, and this can be significantly related to a number of variables. Identifying distress, and said factors, at an early stage can help to develop mitigation strategies. Similarly, early detection can help to improve the way information is shared with patients, offer them support and resources and direct them to psychosocial services, increasing the patient's ability to return to normal after COVID-19.
Introduction. Pain is a frequent symptom in oncology, approximately 50% of cancer patients have pain at some moment in their disease, and increase by 75-90% in advanced stages. Pain may be associated with the tumor, with treatment or be related with other causes. Presents an important physical, mental and social impact, so it is important to give an adequate analgesic treatment. Objective. To analyze the pain incidence, intensity and treatment in our Radiotherapy Oncology unit. Materials and methods. An observational study has been realized interviewing 200 patients of our unit. We have made them several questions about pain: presence/absence, cause, location, days with pain, intensity according to VAS and treatment. Results. Of the 200 patients, 120 were men and 80 were women, with a mean age of 64 years (26-87). 147 patients were asymptomatic (73.5%) and 53 had pain (26.5%), pain was related to the disease and/or the treatment to 79.2% of cases and independent to 20.8%. Of the 53 patients with pain, 69.8% were taking medication (first step: 45.9%, second step: 10.9% and third step: 43.2%). We analyzed VAS maximum, middle and minimum by steps of analgesic: first step (6.4/4/1.6), second step (6/4.2/2.2), and third step (6.6/2.3/2.3). Conclusion. Most of our patients have no pain. Those who are symptomatic are mainly palliative or head and neck tumours. They have an average of days a week with pain of 6 (1-7) and a mode of 7. Analyzing the patients by steps, we observe that in the first and second, only one patient in each group is well treated, others have a maximum VAS above 4; would be necessary to step up. Third step patients also show a high maximum average VAS, could be to have low doses, absence of rescue analgesia or adjuvant, or they need a fourth step using invasive techniques.http://dx.
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