Longitudinal study of the relationship between chemoradiation therapy for non-small-cell lung cancer and patient symptoms.
OBJECTIVE
Cancer patients undergoing aggressive therapy suffer from multiple nonspecific treatment-related symptoms. The goal of this prospective study was to establish a profile of the development of different symptoms over the time of therapy and to examine symptom-related functional interference in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CXRT).


METHODS
Patients with locally advanced unresectable (stage II-IIIB) NSCLC were recruited for the study (N = 64). The M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) was used to measure multiple symptoms before and weekly for 12 weeks after the start of CXRT. Mixed-effect growth curve models were used to estimate symptom development during CXRT.


RESULTS
Approximately 63% of patients suffered from moderate to severe levels of multiple symptoms by the end of CXRT. Symptom clusters with four development patterns appeared over the time of CXRT. With some variation between patients, all symptoms had a significant impact on the level of interference (all P < .001). Fatigue, distress, and sadness were the single strongest predictors of total symptom interference (each R2 > or = 0.49). Physical symptoms had greater impact on interference with function when they were moderate to severe, whereas affective symptoms had the largest effect on interference when they were mild to moderate.


CONCLUSIONS
Longitudinal analysis identified symptom clusters that have different development patterns in NSCLC patients receiving CXRT, providing a base for more accurate symptom management and suggesting the need for further study to identify potential mechanisms that might lead to better symptom control or prevention.
Wang
Xin Shelley
XS
Department of Symptom Research, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. swang@mdanderson.org
Fairclough
Diane L
DL
Liao
Zhongxing
Z
Komaki
Ritsuko
R
Chang
Joe Y
JY
Mobley
Gary M
GM
Cleeland
Charles S
CS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015995:Prevalence; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012720:Severity of Illness Index