Relationships among pain, fatigue, insomnia, and gender in persons with lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationships among pain, fatigue, insomnia, and gender while controlling for age, comorbidities, and stage of cancer in patients newly diagnosed with lung cancer within 56 days of receiving chemotherapy.


METHODS
Secondary data analysis.


METHODS
Accrual from four sites: two clinical community oncology programs and two comprehensive cancer centers.


METHODS
80 patients newly diagnosed with lung cancer.


METHODS
Analysis from baseline observation of a randomized clinical intervention trial. Multinomial log-linear modeling was performed to explain the relationships among pain, fatigue, insomnia, and gender.


METHODS
Pain, fatigue, insomnia, and gender.


RESULTS
For all people with lung cancer, fatigue (97%) and pain (69%) were the most frequently occurring symptoms; insomnia occurred 51% of the time. A model containing all main effects (two-way interactions of pain and fatigue, pain and insomnia, and insomnia and gender; and the three-way interaction of pain, fatigue, and insomnia, along with three covariates [age, comorbidities, and stage of cancer]) was a good fit to the data. Parameter estimates indicated that a statistically significant effect from the model was the three-way interaction of pain, fatigue, and insomnia. Gender did not make a difference. Age, comorbidities, and stage of cancer were not significant covariates.


CONCLUSIONS
For people newly diagnosed with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy, multiple symptoms occur simultaneously rather than in isolation; a symptom cluster exists, consisting of pain, fatigue, and insomnia; and no relationship was found among gender, pain, fatigue, and insomnia.


CONCLUSIONS
By understanding this symptom cluster, healthcare providers can target specific troublesome symptoms to optimize symptom management and achieve the delivery of high-quality cancer care.
Hoffman
Amy J
AJ
National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. ahoffman32@aol.com
Given
Barbara A
BA
von Eye
Alexander
A
Gift
Audrey G
AG
Given
Charles W
CW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001066:Appetite; D003248:Constipation / Q000209:etiology; D003371:Cough / Q000209:etiology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009325:Nausea / Q000209:etiology; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000209:etiology*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents