3117 - A modified Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale for assessing symptoms in one day chemotherapy clinic

Background

Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy experienced many adverse effects. The purpose of this study was to assess the symptoms were experienced by cancer patients using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment scale.

Methods

The study was cross-sectional and was conducted in one-day clinic in large oncology hospital in capital of Greece. The sample consisted of 199 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in cycle 3. Date was collected using Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) additionally with a questionnaire for demographic and clinical characteristics, Descriptive and conductive statistical methods were used.

Results

The vast majority of patients were women (n = 153, 76.9%) and had breast cancer (n = 153, 76,9%). Patients experienced mild severity symptoms as could be seen from the mean values of symptoms (physical symptoms: 14.85±10.25, emotional symptoms: 6.84±5.24, well-being 3.73±2.61). There is a statistically significant difference between type of cancer and shortness of breath (p = 0.015) between gender and nausea (p = 0.013) gender and shortness of breath (p = 0.013). In addition, there is statistically difference between drowsiness and how is chemotherapy given (p = 0.0017). The rest of the comparisons revealed that there is a statistical significant difference between pain and type of chemotherapy regimen (p = 0.014), nausea and type of chemotherapy regimen (p = 0.012), well-being and type of chemotherapy regimen (p = 0.003) as well as between total symptoms and type of chemotherapy regimen (p = 0.025).

Conclusions

Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale was an important clinical instrument for assessing symptoms in clinical practice. There is a need for further research in order to use this tool in a daily clinical practice in one day chemotherapy clinic.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

The authors.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.