Abstract 4165
Background
Family caregivers (FCs) play important roles in the care provided to patients with incurable cancer. These patients experience a wide range of distressing symptoms. This symptom burden may add to the burden of FCs and consequently may have a negative impact on their quality of life (QoL). This study was conducted to determine the relationship between the symptom burden in a cohort of patients with incurable cancer and the QoL of their FCs.
Methods
The study included 94 dyads of hospitalized incurable cancer patients and one of their FCs. The symptom burden among patients was assessed using the revised Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS-r) and the QoL of their FCs was measured using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form (MOS SF-36) questionnaire.
Results
Nausea was the most common symptom to associate with poorer QoL scores. There was a significant negative correlation between nausea and the following MOS SF-36 scales: physical functioning (r=-0.219, p = 0.034), role limitations due to physical health (r =-0.0228, p = 0.027), pain (r=-0.404, p < 0.001), general health (r =-0.222, p = 0.031) and health change (r=-0.317, p = 0.002). Other symptoms that correlated significantly with at least one of the MOS SF-36 scales were weakness, drowsiness, lack of appetite, shortness of breath, depression and wellbeing. The total ESAS-r score correlated significantly with poorer scores on the pain (r=-0.248, p = 0.016) and health change (r=-0.311, p = 0.002) scales of MOS SF-36. In addition; older FCs age, hours of care per day, total period of care, FCs employment and inadequate income correlated significantly with poorer scores of at least one of the MOS SF-36 scales.
Conclusions
The high symptom burden experienced by patients with incurable cancer may have a negative impact on the QoL of their FCs, especially the physical aspect.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
Clinical Oncology Department, Menofia University.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Resources from the same session
5152 - Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) can categorize elderly glioblastoma (GBM) patients into three groups predicting survival: a monoinstitutional study
Presenter: Eleonora Bergo
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
4079 - Triggering anti-GBM immune response with EGFR-mediated photoimmunotherapy
Presenter: Gabriela Kramer-marek
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
4364 - Upregulation of sFRP3 circulating expression levels correlates survival outcomes in glioblastoma
Presenter: Gema Bruixola
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
2327 - Characterization and pre-clinical modeling of genetic aberrations in pediatric gliomas
Presenter: Itai Moshe
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
3154 - Preclinical Study of Novel Tetracyclic Small Molecule, CC12, for Brain Cancer
Presenter: Liyun Fann
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
5759 - CHLOROBRAIN phase IB trial: The addition of chloroquine, an autophagy inhibitor, to concurrent radiation and temozolomide for newly diagnosed glioblastoma
Presenter: Inge Compter
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
1382 - A Phase II Clinical Trial Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Apatinib Combined with dose-dense Temozolomide in Recurrent Glioblastoma
Presenter: Yong Wang
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
4407 - Phase 0 Trial of Ceritinib in Brain Metastases and Recurrent Glioblastoma
Presenter: Shwetal Mehta
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
1469 - Pembrolizumab (Pem) in recurrent high-grade glioma (HGG) patients with mismatch repair deficiency (MMRd): an observational study
Presenter: Mario Caccese
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
4217 - Outcome of high-grade gliomas (HGGs) treated into immunotherapeutic early-phase clinical trials (ieCTs): a single-center experience
Presenter: Matteo Simonelli
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract