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. 2022 Jul-Aug;45(4):253-261.
doi: 10.1097/NCC.0000000000001019. Epub 2021 Dec 28.

Identification of Breast Cancer Survivors With High Symptom Burden

Meagan S Whisenant  1 , Loretta A Williams, Tito Mendoza, Charles Cleeland, Tsun-Hsuan Chen, Michael J Fisch, Quiling Shi
Affiliations

Identification of Breast Cancer Survivors With High Symptom Burden

Meagan S Whisenant et al. Cancer Nurs. 2022 Jul-Aug.

Abstract

Background: While women diagnosed with breast cancer have increased survival when compared with other cancers, survivorship may include residual symptom burden from treatment and continuing endocrine therapies.

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify subgroups of breast cancer survivors experiencing similar symptom severity.

Methods: Participants were 498 women with breast cancer, not on active treatment. Symptom severity was self-reported using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory. Target symptoms were included in a latent profile analysis. Factors related to subgroup membership and differences in quality of life (QOL) and functioning were explored using logistic regression.

Results: Mean age was 60.11 (SD, 11.32) years, 86.1% were white, and 79.1% were receiving endocrine therapy. Target symptoms included fatigue (reported at ≥5 by 22.8% of women), sleep disturbance (24.8%), and trouble remembering (17.2%). Two subgroups were identified: low symptom severity (77.0% of women) and high (23.0%). Older women (odds ratio [OR], 0.971; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.952-0.989) and employed women (OR, 0.621; 95% CI, 0404-0.956) were less likely to be in the high subgroup; women with poorer performance status (OR, 1.653; 95% CI, 1.188-2.299) were more likely to be in the high subgroup. Women in the high subgroup reported lower QOL (P = .000) and greater interference with functioning (P = .000).

Conclusions: Two subgroups of women with distinct symptom severity were identified.

Implications for practice: Identification of women at risk for high symptoms during survivorship may allow clinicians to intensify their approach to symptom management, thereby mitigating poor outcomes and impairments in QOL.

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Conflict of interest statement

L.A.W. has received research grants from Astellas, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bristol Meyers Squibb, Eli Lily, Genentech, and Merck. C.C. has received research grants from Bayer and consults for Bayer. M.J.F. discloses employment by AIM Specialty Health and stock in Anthem, Inc. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

References

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