title: Comparison of subgroups of breast cancer patients on pain and co-occurring symptoms following chemotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purposes of this study, in a sample of women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy (CTX), were to identify subgroups of women with distinct experiences with the symptom cluster of pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and depressive symptoms and evaluate differences in demographic and clinical characteristics, differences in psychological symptoms, and differences in pain characteristics among these subgroups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients completed symptom questionnaires in the week following CTX administration. Latent class profile analysis (LCPA) was used to determine the patient subgroups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three subgroups were identified: 140 patients (35.8 %) in the "low," 189 patients (48.3 %) in the "moderate," and 62 patients (15.9 %) in the "all high" latent class. Patients in the all high class had a lower functional status, a higher comorbidity profile, a higher symptom burden, and a poorer quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study findings provide evidence of the utility of LCPA to explain inter-individual variability in the symptom experience of patients undergoing CTX. The ability to characterize subgroups of patients with distinct symptom experiences allows for the identification of high-risk patients and may guide the design of targeted interventions that are tailored to an individual's symptom profile.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Nursing, School of Nursing, University of California, 2 Koret Way-N631Y, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0610, USA.
authors.forename: Dale J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Langford
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Nursing, School of Nursing, University of California, 2 Koret Way-N631Y, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0610, USA.
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Nursing, School of Nursing, University of California, 2 Koret Way-N631Y, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0610, USA.
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Nursing, School of Nursing, University of California, 2 Koret Way-N631Y, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0610, USA.
authors.forename: Kord M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kober
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Nursing, School of Nursing, University of California, 2 Koret Way-N631Y, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0610, USA.
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mastick
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melisko
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jon D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Fay
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Marilyn J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hammer
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cartwright
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Nursing, School of Nursing, University of California, 2 Koret Way-N631Y, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0610, USA.
authors.forename: Kathryn A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Nursing, School of Nursing, University of California, 2 Koret Way-N631Y, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0610, USA.|Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Bradley E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Aouizerat
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Nursing, School of Nursing, University of California, 2 Koret Way-N631Y, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0610, USA. chris.miaskowski@nursing.ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miaskowski
mesh_terms: D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013577:Syndrome
chemical_list: D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D003520:Cyclophosphamide
keywords: Breast cancer; Depression; Fatigue; Latent class profile analysis; Pain; Quality of life; Sleep disturbance