UK - Quality of Life and Experience of Care in Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Blogger's Comment: read prior post on 'symptom clusters'

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management - Quality of Life and Experience of Care in Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Conclusion

Despite improvements in treatment and survival of women with metastatic breast cancer, this group reports high symptom burden and dissatisfaction with elements of their care, indicating that alternative models of service delivery should be explored.

abstract: All’s Well That Ends Well? Quality of Life and Physical Symptom Clusters in Long-Term Cancer Survivors Across Cancer Types (EORTC QLQ-C30)

Blogger's Note: per abstract it does not appear ovarian cancer patients were included in this study, full access requires subscription ($$$) 

 Conclusion

Contrary to expectations, no symptom clusters specific to one type of cancer were identified and survivors reported few cancer-related symptoms and high QoL. These results convey a strong “good news” message, providing health professionals with a sound foundation for making encouraging predictions about their patients’ long-term physical recovery after cancer. Cancer patients also will welcome the news that only a minority of five-year survivors experience long-term and late effects.

Cancer Symptom Clusters: Old Concept But New Data -- American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine

Note: there are other blog postings regarding symptom clusters (ie; certain symptoms go together eg depression, fatigue etc...) "Symptom clusters may help in cancer diagnosis, symptom management, and prognostication. However, the cluster method, reliability, and validity need to be established before assessment or treatment guidelines are established. Symptom clusters require further research before becoming part of routine medical symptom assessment and management."

Cancer Symptom Clusters: Old Concept But New Data

Abstract:
Individuals with cancer have multiple symptoms, which frequently co-occur. A nonrandom distribution of symptoms suggests a common mechanism. Symptom clusters (SCs) were considered part of various syndromes in the early years of medicine. The SC concept in clinical medicine is old. Symptom clusters were commonly described in the psychology/psychiatry and neurology literature. Symptom cluster may be defined either clinically or statistically. Statistically derived clusters can differ from clinically defined clusters. The clinical importance of statistically derived clusters is unclear. Pain-insomnia-fatigue and pain-depression-fatigue are commonly recognized clinical clusters. Nausea-vomiting and anxiety-depression are also statistically observed clusters.