CN73 - Symptom management in patients with chemotherapy-induced hand-foot syndrome: A qualitative study

Background

Hand-foot syndrome (HFS), may cause sensory loss, erythema-specific skin syndrome, hand and foot skin pigmentation, swelling in finger, toes, blisters, ulcers, and bleeding with pain. Studies have found that some patients underestimate the potential long-term effects of the disease, which results in suboptimal disease management. The study aimed to explore the self-management of symptoms in patients with chemotherapy-induced HFS and to provide guidance for developing a self-management plan that aligns with patient needs.

Methods

Twenty-two patients who developed chemotherapy-induced HFS were selected by objective sampling from July to Sept 2022 in the Department of Oncology of a tertiary hospital in Shanghai. A semistructured face-to-face in-depth interview was performed to collect the case data, which were analyzed using the content analysis method, and the themes were refined.

Results

Twenty-two patients, were interviewed. Three themes and six subthemes emerged from analysis of the interviews: The first theme was “Patients’ attitudes and emotional responses to symptoms,” including patients gradually accepted the symptoms of HFS and adapted to some mild manifestations based on the following responses, showed different emotional responses to the HFS, symptoms that affected their daily lives. Patient felt guilty for his family and had a self-image disorder. The second theme was “symptom experience,” symptoms varied across patients and had different impacts on individual lives. Including pain and itching feeling peeling. The third theme was “coping strategies,” including patients felt the impact of limited social interaction and family relationships. The fourth theme was “expectations for the future,” including acquire related knowledge via websites, physicians, and among patients, changed habits and showed improved symptoms and met/exceeded the expectations of the healthcare providers.

Conclusions

Healthcare providers should offer more education and emotional support to patients with chemotherapy-induced HFS to achieve symptom management, elicit positive experiences, and help with more targeted and effective self-management of symptoms.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

The author has declared no conflicts of interest.