Ghoshal Sushmita, Miriyala Raviteja, Elangovan Arun, Rai Bhavana
Department of Radiotherapy, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.
Indian J Palliat Care. 2016 Jul-Sep;22(3):326-30. doi: 10.4103/0973-1075.185049.
The present study was planned to record the distressing symptoms of newly diagnosed cancer patients and evaluate how the symptoms were addressed by the treating oncologists.
All newly diagnosed cancer patients referred to the Department of Radiotherapy during May 2014 were asked to complete a questionnaire after taking their consent. The Edmonton symptom assessment scale-regular questionnaire was used to assess the frequency and intensity of distressing symptoms. The case records of these patients were then reviewed to compare the frequency and intensity documented by the treating physician. The difference in the two sets of symptoms documented was statistically analyzed by nonparametric tests using SPSS software version 16.
Eighty-nine patients participated in this study, of which only 19 could fill the questionnaire on their own. Anxiety was the most common symptom (97.8%) followed by depression (89.9%), tiredness (89.9%), and pain (86.5%). The treating physicians recorded pain in 83.1% whereas the other symptoms were either not documented or grossly underreported. Anxiety was documented in 3/87 patients, but depression was not documented in any. Tiredness was documented in 12/80 patients, and loss of appetite in 54/77 patients mentioning them in the questionnaire. Significant statistical correlation could be seen between the presence of pain, anxiety, depression, tiredness, and loss of appetite in the patients.
The study reveals that the distressing symptoms experienced by newly diagnosed cancer patients are grossly underreported and inadequately addressed by treating oncologists. Sensitizing the oncologists and incorporating palliative care principles early in the management of cancer patients could improve their holistic care.
本研究旨在记录新诊断癌症患者的痛苦症状，并评估肿瘤专科医生对这些症状的处理方式。
2014年5月转诊至放疗科的所有新诊断癌症患者在获得同意后被要求填写一份问卷。使用埃德蒙顿症状评估量表常规问卷来评估痛苦症状的频率和强度。然后查阅这些患者的病历，以比较主治医生记录的频率和强度。使用SPSS 16软件通过非参数检验对两组记录的症状差异进行统计学分析。
89名患者参与了本研究，其中只有19名能够自行填写问卷。焦虑是最常见的症状（97.8%），其次是抑郁（89.9%）、疲劳（89.9%）和疼痛（86.5%）。主治医生记录疼痛的比例为83.1%，而其他症状要么未记录，要么严重漏报。87名患者中有3名记录了焦虑，但没有记录任何抑郁症状。80名患者中有12名记录了疲劳，77名在问卷中提及食欲减退的患者中有54名记录了该症状。患者的疼痛、焦虑、抑郁、疲劳和食欲减退之间存在显著的统计学相关性。
该研究表明，新诊断癌症患者经历的痛苦症状严重漏报，肿瘤专科医生处理不足。提高肿瘤专科医生的意识，并在癌症患者管理早期纳入姑息治疗原则，可改善对他们的整体护理。
