Pain Research Group, Division of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Semin Radiat Oncol. 2000 Jul;10(3):175-90. doi: 10.1053/srao.2000.6590.
Patients with cancer experience multiple symptoms including pain, dyspnea, fatigue, depression, and cognitive impairment. These symptoms impair patients' daily functioning and their quality of life. Symptoms that can be well managed are often undertreated. A major barrier to adequate symptom treatment is poor assessment. The use of simple measurement scales greatly improves the symptom assessment process, helps direct treatment choices, and provides information about the effectiveness of treatment. Recently, better methods for symptom assessment have been developed, including brief self-report tools for the assessment of multiple symptoms and interactive voice response systems for assessing symptoms at home. Symptom assessment can be linked to evidence-based or best practice guidelines to expedite optimal symptom treatment. Because patients with cancer receiving radiotherapy are seen in the clinic frequently, the radiation oncologist can play an integral role in a comprehensive approach that involves both the medical and radiotherapeutic treatment of cancer-related symptoms.
癌症患者会经历多种症状，包括疼痛、呼吸困难、疲劳、抑郁和认知障碍。这些症状会损害患者的日常功能及其生活质量。那些可以得到有效控制的症状往往未得到充分治疗。充分进行症状治疗的一个主要障碍是评估不足。使用简单的测量量表可大大改善症状评估过程，有助于指导治疗选择，并提供有关治疗效果的信息。最近，已开发出更好的症状评估方法，包括用于评估多种症状的简短自我报告工具和用于在家中评估症状的交互式语音应答系统。症状评估可与循证或最佳实践指南相联系，以加快实现最佳症状治疗。由于接受放射治疗的癌症患者经常到诊所就诊，放射肿瘤学家在涉及癌症相关症状的医学和放射治疗的综合方法中可发挥不可或缺的作用。
