title: Symptom clusters in patients with metastatic cancer: a literature review.
abstract: This article reviews the literature reporting empirically determined symptom clusters in patients with metastatic cancer. A literature search was conducted on symptom clusters within heterogeneous metastatic cancer patient populations using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL. Studies examining predetermined symptom clusters were excluded. A total of eight relevant studies published between 2005 and 2011 were identified. The number of symptom clusters extracted varied from two to eight clusters per study, comprising of two to eight symptoms per cluster. There were no clusters consistently identified within all eight studies. Notable differences in symptoms assessed, assessment tools, statistical analysis, patient demographics were observed between the studies. The lack of consensus among the inter-study symptom clusters are likely due to the differences in patient population as well as study methodology. Further exploration in metastatic symptom cluster research will ideally improve patient outcomes by facilitating improved symptom management in future clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Rapid Response Radiotherapy Program, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Nemica
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Thavarajah
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bedard
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Di Giovanni
authors.forename: Madeline
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lemke
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lauzon
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chow
mesh_terms: D016000:Cluster Analysis; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012107:Research Design