title: Concordance of cancer patients' function, symptoms, and supportive care needs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although patients' function, symptoms, and supportive care needs are obviously related, a better understanding of these relationships could improve patient management.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional, observational study, 117 cancer patients completed the Supportive Care Needs Survey-34 and EORTC-QLQ-C30. Each symptom and function domain from the EORTC-QLQ-C30 was dichotomized (high vs. low) using a cut-off of reference sample mean scores. Each need domain was dichotomized using a cut-off of an average score representing an unmet need. We explored within-patient patterns of function, symptom, and need domains using latent class analysis. Based on these patterns, patients were categorized as high versus low function; high versus low symptom; and high versus low need. We examined the concordance between categorizations of patients' function, symptoms, and needs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The categorizations of function, symptoms, and needs were concordant for 66 patients (56%). Among patients with deficits in at least one area (n = 68), categorizations for 51 patients (75%) were discordant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  About 50% of patients have similar classifications of their level of function, symptoms, and needs, but discordance was common among patients with deficits in at least one area, emphasizing the importance of assessing all of these outcomes as part of patient evaluations.
authors: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 624 N. Broadway, Room 657, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. csnyder@jhsph.edu
authors: Claire F
authors: CF
authors: Snyder
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Garrett-Mayer
authors: Amanda L
authors: AL
authors: Blackford
authors: Julie R
authors: JR
authors: Brahmer
authors: Michael A
authors: MA
authors: Carducci
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Pili
authors: Vered
authors: V
authors: Stearns
authors: Antonio C
authors: AC
authors: Wolff
authors: Sydney M
authors: SM
authors: Dy
authors: Albert W
authors: AW
authors: Wu
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009369:Neoplasms; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires