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
3611 - Phase II trial of SM 88 in Non-Metastatic Biochemical Recurrent Prostate Cancer.
Presenter: Benjamin Gartrell
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
2492 - A phase 1 study of Ad5 PSA/MUC-1/Brachyury Vaccine in Patients with Metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC)
Presenter: Marijo Bilusic
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
3142 - Multicenter Phase I Trial of a DNA Vaccine Encoding the Androgen Receptor Ligand Binding Domain (pTVG-AR, MVI-118) in Patients with Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Presenter: Douglas McNeel
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
4327 - Impact of germline mutations in Homologous Recombination (HR) genes on the response to Radium-223 for metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)
Presenter: Elena Castro
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
3600 - Serum biomarkers of bone metabolism in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients (pts) treated with Radium-223 (Ra223): Results from a prospective multicentre study
Presenter: Nuria Romero Laorden
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
3742 - Prognostic value of tumor suppression genes (TP53, PTEN, Rb) in metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer
Presenter: Miguel Gonzalez Velez
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
2643 - Germline sequencing of advanced prostate cancer patients in the BARCODE2 trial
Presenter: Sarah Benafif
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
4349 - Impact of treatment sequence in patients (pts) with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC): data from the prospective PROREPAIR-B study.
Presenter: Carlo Cattrini
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
3301 - Implications of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in Androgen Related-Genes in Outcome of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients treated with Abiraterone (Abi) and Enzalutamide (Enza)
Presenter: Isabel Aragon
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
2275 - Activating mutations in AKT1/PIK3CA are associated with poor clinical outcomes in metastatic prostate cancer (mPC)
Presenter: Simon Fu
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract