Patterns of symptom distress in older women after surgical treatment for breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To describe patterns of symptom distress over time in older women receiving surgical treatment for breast cancer and to examine the relationship of selected patient and clinical characteristics to symptom distress.


METHODS
Secondary analysis of breast cancer data from a prospective, longitudinal study of older patients with several types of cancer.


METHODS
Large mid-Atlantic teaching hospital.


METHODS
57 patients with breast cancer participated. Subjects had a mean age of 68 and were predominantly white, not Hispanic, married, Protestant, retired, and in stage I or II. A total of 55 subjects completed the study.


METHODS
The Symptom Distress Scale was used. Data were collected on discharge and at three and six months postdischarge. Descriptive statistics, t test, analysis of variance, correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression were analyzed.


METHODS
Total symptom distress and 13 individual symptom scores.


RESULTS
Fatigue, frequency of pain, outlook, and insomnia consistently were most prevalent and severe. Symptoms decreased gradually. Younger, more educated, and married women experienced more distress.


CONCLUSIONS
Interactions among symptoms are complex. Later symptom distress may be predicted by early experience and demographic characteristics.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinicians should inquire about symptom distress at each encounter, expect multiple symptoms, and anticipate greater symptom distress in patients who are younger, more educated, or married or living with a partner. In women with more severe, earlier symptom distress, nurses should intervene promptly. Research should determine interrelationships of symptoms and how they might be affected by contextual variables, describe critical attributes of the nurse-patient interaction that might mitigate symptom distress, characterize the relationship of symptom intensity and distress, clarify the mechanism of the relationship between marital status and symptom distress, and identify the effect of symptoms, individually and collectively, on survival and quality of life.
Kenefick
Amy Laufer
AL
School of Nursing, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA. amy.kenefick@uconn.edu
D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D015984:Causality; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008873:Mid-Atlantic Region / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000453:epidemiology; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology