Relationships of Symptom Groups and Functioning Domains in Patients with Advanced-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Undergoing Treatment: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the symptoms experienced by patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), examine whether different symptom groups significantly affected different functioning domains in these patients, and determine the effect of the “lack of energy” and “pain” symptom groups on the different functioning domains of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). From a single tertiary institution, this cross-sectional study enrolled 135 consecutive NSCLC patients who were mostly undergoing chemotherapy and were in the advanced stage (National University Hospital, Daegu, South Korea). Clinical and self-reported demographic information and data on different functioning domains (from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30)), symptom experience (from the EORTC QLQ-LC13), and the Symptom Distress Scale (SDS) were examined. The four most common symptoms were fatigue (69%), pain (47%), dyspnea (38%), and lack of appetite (36%). The “pain” symptom group was negatively associated with physical, emotional, cognitive, and role functioning. The “lack of energy” symptom group was negatively associated with physical, role, emotional, social, and cognitive functioning. The “lack of energy” symptom group explained the most variance for physical and role functioning, and the “pain” symptom group explained the most variance for emotional functioning. Impaired concentration explained the most variance for cognitive functioning.

Construction of the core symptom cluster management program for patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy: a Delphi study

“…The 17 experts are all women, with an average of 19.71 years of work experience. Among the 17 intervention measures constitute the main content of the second round of Delphi. The statistical results of 17 expert evaluations are shown in Table 4.…”

“…The symptom cluster was proposed in 2002 by American scholar Dodd [15] et al, which initially refers to the simultaneous occurrence of three or more interrelated symptoms, and was later rede ned by Kim[16] et al It refers to the simultaneous occurrence of two or more interrelated symptoms, which are synergistic and mutually reinforcing, and have a far greater impact than a single symptom. The symptom cluster affects patients' prognosis, quality of life, and functional status, leading to serious physiological, psychological, and economic burdens, and even delay or discontinue treatment [17,18]. Patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy have a variety of symptom clusters [19,20].…”

Therapeutic potential of chrysin nanoparticle-mediation inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase and ubiquinone oxidoreductase in pancreatic and lung adenocarcinoma

“…A previous qualitative study reported that dyspnea played a primary role in the onset of fatigue in patients with LC. Pain in patients with LC may be caused by the tumor itself, treatment, diagnostic tests, surgeries, procedures (e.g., biopsy, puncture, mediastinoscopy, thoracotomy), local or metastatic invasion of a tumor into the chest with consequent inflammation or pulmonary embolism of the invaded area, or due to tumoral compression of bones, nerves, or other organs [6]. Although there are numerous signaling pathways, including the MAPK, PI3K, oxidative stress response, RNA splicing, processing, and nucleosome remodeling pathways, have been linked to causal gene changes [7].…”

“…Fig 6. Deacetylation Mechanism of SIRT3 by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide on several Lys residues in SDHA of mitochondria Complex ΙΙ[83] …”