Boland Elaine G, Khamis Assem, Tay Khek Tjian, Chater Kathyrn, Taylor Paul, Landon Alison, Ross Joy, Murtagh Fliss E M
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hull, UK.
Wolfson Palliative Care Research Centre, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Hull, UK.
Support Care Cancer. 2025 Sep 18;33(10):860. doi: 10.1007/s00520-025-09919-3.
Patients with gastro-intestinal (GI) cancer have a high symptom burden; however, comparative data to other cancers is lacking. The aim is to determine symptom prevalence for people with GI cancer receiving specialist palliative care in the community.
Secondary analysis of anonymised routinely collected symptom registry data from those receiving community-based specialist palliative care, between 2020 and 2023.
One thousand seven hundred thirty-three patients with GI cancer received 2,332 episodes of specialist palliative care. Common symptoms were: - pain (77% prevalence in GI cancer vs 73% other cancers); with 49% reporting being moderately/severely/overwhelmingly affected in GI vs 46% in other cancers. - nausea (34% in GI cancer vs 25% other cancers); with 16% moderately/severely/overwhelmingly affected in GI vs 11% in other cancers. - vomiting (17% in GI cancer vs 11% other cancers); with 8% moderately/severely/overwhelmingly affected in GI vs 5% in other cancers. - poor appetite (77% in GI cancer vs 68% other cancers); with 56% moderately/severely/overwhelmingly affected in GI vs 46% in other cancers. poor mobility (79% in GI cancer vs 84% other cancer); with 53% moderately/severely/overwhelmingly affected in GI vs 62% in other cancers.
This novel study provides comparative evidence about the nature of the high symptom burden for those with GI cancer and shows that poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, and worse mobility are more prevalent compared to other cancers, while pain and weakness are of similar prevalence. The underlying reasons may relate to illness trajectory, referral timing, or other causes and need further exploration.
胃肠道（GI）癌症患者症状负担较重；然而，与其他癌症的对比数据尚缺。目的是确定在社区接受专科姑息治疗的GI癌症患者的症状患病率。
对2020年至2023年间接受社区专科姑息治疗患者的匿名常规收集症状登记数据进行二次分析。
1733例GI癌症患者接受了2332次专科姑息治疗。常见症状如下：——疼痛（GI癌症患病率为77%，其他癌症为73%）；49%的GI癌症患者报告受到中度/重度/极重度影响，其他癌症患者为46%。——恶心（GI癌症患者中为34%，其他癌症为25%）；16%的GI癌症患者受到中度/重度/极重度影响，其他癌症患者为11%。——呕吐（GI癌症患者中为17%，其他癌症为11%）；8%的GI癌症患者受到中度/重度/极重度影响，其他癌症患者为5%。——食欲不佳（GI癌症患者中为77%，其他癌症为68%）；56%的GI癌症患者受到中度/重度/极重度影响，其他癌症患者为46%。——行动不便（GI癌症患者中为79%，其他癌症为84%）；53%的GI癌症患者受到中度/重度/极重度影响，其他癌症患者为62%。
这项新研究提供了关于GI癌症患者高症状负担性质的对比证据，表明与其他癌症相比，食欲不佳、恶心、呕吐和行动不便更为普遍，而疼痛和虚弱的患病率相似。潜在原因可能与疾病轨迹、转诊时机或其他因素有关，需要进一步探索。
