open access: Patient and health care provider perceptions of cancer-related fatigue and pain

Patient and health care provider perceptions of cancer-related fatigue and pain 
 

Results

Patient baseline demographics and disease characteristics

From June to November 2012, 550 of 1122 eligible patients (49 %) completed a survey (Appendix). Of these, 144 (26 %) were men, 406 (74 %) were women; median (minimum, maximum) age for all patients was 58 (19, 91) years; 171 (31 %) patients were ≥65 years of age; and self-rated Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status was 0 or 1 for 41 % of patients, 2 for 31 % of patients, and ≥3 for 27 % of patients. Patient-reported most recently diagnosed cancer (number [%]) included breast (212 [39]), lung (74 [14]), colon (47 [9]), ovarian (44 [8]), prostate (30 [6]), uterine (16 [3]), liver (15 [3]), brain (13 [2]), bladder (12 [2]), and rectal (12 [2]). Metastatic and/or stage 4 disease was reported by 235 (43 %) patients......

Conclusions

This study shows the importance of assessing symptoms by direct patient report during chemotherapy treatment. HCPs continue to underestimate the prevalence and importance of fatigue and pain for patients with cancer, a finding that may alter the management of treatment-related symptoms and may influence the development of patient symptom management plans.