Radiotherapy Department, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
Department of Otolaryngology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
Support Care Cancer. 2024 May 30;32(6):394. doi: 10.1007/s00520-024-08583-3.
Radiation dermatitis is the most common reaction to radiotherapy, almost all breast cancer patients receive radiotherapy on an outpatient basis. Currently, there are no studies on the experience of radiation dermatitis and the ability to self-manage it. Therefore, we aimed to use qualitative approaches to gain a deeper understanding of the actual experiences and self-management ability in order to provide a reference for further improving the effectiveness of self-management and to optimize symptom management strategies.
A descriptive qualitative study was conducted using purposive sampling to select 17 breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted from September to November 2023. The Colaizzi seven-step analysis method was used to classify the data into summarized themes.
Four themes were identified from the interview responses: (1) multiple self-reported skin symptoms in breast cancer patients with radiation dermatitis; (2) the multidimensional impact on patient's quality of life, especially pruritus, ulceration; (3) the ability to self-manage radiation dermatitis: strong mental toughness, positive response, and self-doubt; (4) challenges faced: concerns about radiotherapy side effects and recurrence, targeted symptom management and continuity of care after the radiotherapy.
Healthcare professionals should consider patients' self-reported symptoms when assessing radiation dermatitis. For pruritus and pain, we can enhance precision symptom management to improve patients' quality of life. By utilizing information technology tools, we can increase breast cancer patients' ability and confidence in managing radiation dermatitis effectively while enhancing accurate symptom management during radiotherapy.
放射性皮炎是放疗最常见的反应，几乎所有乳腺癌患者都在门诊接受放疗。目前，尚无关于放射性皮炎的体验和自我管理能力的研究。因此，我们旨在采用定性方法深入了解实际体验和自我管理能力，为进一步提高自我管理的有效性提供参考，并优化症状管理策略。
采用描述性定性研究，采用目的性抽样选择 17 名接受放疗的乳腺癌患者。于 2023 年 9 月至 11 月进行半结构式访谈。采用 Colaizzi 七步分析法对数据进行分类，得出总结性主题。
从访谈回复中确定了四个主题：（1）放射性皮炎乳腺癌患者的多种自我报告皮肤症状；（2）对患者生活质量的多维影响，尤其是瘙痒、溃疡；（3）自我管理放射性皮炎的能力：坚强的心理素质、积极的反应和自我怀疑；（4）面临的挑战：对放疗副作用和复发的担忧、针对症状的管理以及放疗后的连续性护理。
医疗保健专业人员在评估放射性皮炎时应考虑患者的自我报告症状。对于瘙痒和疼痛，可以加强精准症状管理，提高患者的生活质量。通过利用信息技术工具，我们可以提高乳腺癌患者有效管理放射性皮炎的能力和信心，同时增强放疗期间的准确症状管理。
