title: Symptoms and problems with functioning among women and men with inoperable lung cancer--a longitudinal study.
abstract: The aim of this study is to compare the prevalence and intensity of symptoms and problems with functioning between women and men with inoperable lung cancer (LC) during 3 months post-diagnosis. One hundred and fifty-nine patients completed the EORTC QLQ C-30+LC13 at three time points: close to diagnosis and prior to treatment, and one, and 3 months later. Descriptive cross-sectional analyses and longitudinal analyses using repeated measure ANOVA were conducted. These patients reported many and intense symptoms and problems with functioning. The most salient finding from the cross-sectional analysis was that women reported both more, and more intense problems with emotional functioning close to diagnosis. Statistically significant improvements over time were found in both men and women with regard to emotional functioning, dyspnea, insomnia, cough, pain in arm/shoulder, while physical functioning, fatigue, constipation, dysphagia, peripheral neuropathy and alopecia deteriorated significantly over time. The longitudinal analyses suggest that, with the exception of emotional functioning, gender differences were not only related to biological sex alone, but were also found to be related to other components of the patients' life situation, such as education, age, civil status and type of LC. Sensitivity to different symptom experiences and responses to those experiences between and within women and men is also necessary in the management of symptoms in patients with inoperable LC.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; School of Health and Social Sciences, Högskolan Dalarna, Falun, Sweden. Electronic address: malin.lovgren@ki.se.
authors.forename: Malin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lövgren
authors.affiliation: Stockholms Sjukhem Foundation, Research & Development Unit/Palliative Care, Stockholm, Sweden; School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social work, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom; The Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Medical Management Center, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tishelman
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mirjam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sprangers
authors.affiliation: The Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Hirsh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koyi
authors.affiliation: The Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Family Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hamberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012727:Sex Characteristics