title: Disease and treatment characteristics do not predict symptom occurrence profiles in oncology outpatients receiving chemotherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A large amount of interindividual variability exists in the occurrence of symptoms in patients receiving chemotherapy (CTX). The purposes of the current study, which was performed in a sample of 582 oncology outpatients who were receiving CTX, were to identify subgroups of patients based on their distinct experiences with 25 commonly occurring symptoms and to identify demographic and clinical characteristics associated with subgroup membership. In addition, differences in quality of life outcomes were evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Oncology outpatients with breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological, or lung cancer completed the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale before their next cycle of CTX. Latent class analysis was used to identify subgroups of patients with distinct symptom experiences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three distinct subgroups of patients were identified (ie, 36.1% in Low class; 50.0% in Moderate class, and 13.9% in All High class). Patients in the All High class were significantly younger and more likely to be female and nonwhite, and had lower levels of social support, lower socioeconomic status, poorer functional status, and a higher level of comorbidity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings from the current study support the clinical observation that some oncology patients experience a differentially higher symptom burden during CTX. These high-risk patients experience significant decrements in quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Nursing, School of Nursing, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miaskowski
authors.forename: Bruce A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melisko
authors.forename: Lee-May
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mastick
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: Laura B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: Brian L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hammer
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cartwright
authors.forename: Fay
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Dale J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Langford
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Bradley E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Aouizerat
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010045:Outpatients; D057285:Precision Medicine; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D063189:Symptom Assessment
keywords: chemotherapy; latent class analysis; precision medicine; quality of life; symptom clusters; symptom profiles