Abstract 5942
Background
Fatigue represents a complex and frequent symptom in cancer patients and influences their quality of life. Although nurses consider the initial evaluation of the patient to be fundamental, this problem is underestimated in clinical practice and often leads to under-treatment. In addition, the patients and their families still often do not report the symptom because they fear that it will lead to a reduction or suspension of treatment or they think that the symptom is inevitable.
Methods
Mixed methods study. Data were collected using Brief Fatigue Inventory, patients’ interviews, focus groups with nurses and analysis of patients’ records. The setting is represented by two impatient departments of Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland. Quantitative data were analysed with SPSS 22.0. For the interviews and focus groups, the analysis processes were conducted according to conventional content analysis using Nvivo 10 software.
Results
71 questionnaires were analysed, 39 males and 32 females. The mean age was 65,7±14 years. Fatigue was reported 5 times (7%) in nursing documents and 17 times problems fatigue was reported by nurses 5 times (7%) in patients’ records, while in 17 cases (23.9%) related problems were reported. 12 patients were interviewed. Five themes were identified: feeling powerless and aggressive, my strategies or what helps me, feeling reassured by the presence of family members, feeling reassured by nurses’ gesture, to be informed. Three themes were identified from nurses focus group: objectivity and subjectivity in the assessment of asthenia, nursing contribution in the multidisciplinary management of asthenia and difficulty in evaluating outcomes.
Conclusions
A not systematic approach to the management of fatigue emerges. Patients are satisfied with the care received but would like more information and specific interventions. Quantitative and qualitative results seem converge. Fatigue is still an underestimated problem in clinical practice. Specific training interventions for health professionals are needed.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
The authors.
Funding
Scientific Research Advisory Board (ABREOC).
Disclosure
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Resources from the same session
4822 - Efficiacy of different nutritional intervention on nutritional status and quality of life for local advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients: a prospective clinical trial
Presenter: Yuan-yuan Chen
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
2628 - Apatinib in treating patients with platinum-resistant or platinum-refractory recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Presenter: Changjuan Tao
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
4887 - Impact of tumor site and adjuvant radiotherapy on survival of adenoid cystic carcinoma: a SEER database analysis
Presenter: Jason Tasoulas
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
2634 - Efficacy and safety of anlotinib for patients with recurrent and/or metastatic salivary gland carcinomas
Presenter: Wen Jiang
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
3568 - ACCURACY a phase (P) 2 trial of AL101, a pan-Notch inhibitor, in recurrent/metastatic (R/M) adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) patients (pts) with Notch activating mutations (Notch act mut): preliminary safety and efficacy data.
Presenter: Renata Ferrarotto
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
683 - Pathologic Staging Changes in Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma—Stage Migration and Implications for Adjuvant Treatment
Presenter: Zain Husain
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
563 - Expression of immune response biomarkers in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in irradiated area
Presenter: Carole Pflumio
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
4030 - HLA-Ligandome analysis reveals target antigens of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma
Presenter: Simon Laban
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
2979 - Topographical distribution of sentinel lymph nodes in early tongue squamous cell carcinomas
Presenter: Hiroyuki Goda
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
3517 - Role of follow-up (FU) FDG-PET/CT (FU-FDG-PET/CT) in patients with locoregionally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (LA-HNSCC) treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT), either concurrent (CRT) or sequential (ST).
Presenter: Bert Van Den Heuvel
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract