title: Assessment of Palliative Care in Lung Cancer in Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the symptoms of lung cancer in Turkey and to evaluate approaches to alleviate these symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 1,245 lung cancer patients from 26 centers in Turkey. Demographic characteristics as well as information regarding the disease and treatments were obtained from medical records and patient interviews. Symptoms were evaluated using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) and were graded on a scale between 0 and 10 points. Data were compared using the χ2, Student t, and Mann-Whitney U tests. Potential predictors of symptoms were analyzed using logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common symptom was tiredness (n = 1,002; 82.1%), followed by dyspnea (n = 845; 69.3%), appetite loss (n = 801; 65.7%), pain (n = 798; 65.4%), drowsiness (n = 742; 60.8%), anxiety (n = 704; 57.7%), depression (n = 623; 51.1%), and nausea (n = 557; 45.5%). Of the 1,245 patients, 590 (48.4%) had difficulty in initiating or maintaining sleep. The symptoms were more severe in stages III and IV. Logistic regression analysis indicated a clear association between demographic characteristics and symptom distress, as well as between symptom distress (except nausea) and well-being. Overall, 804 (65.4%) patients used analgesics, 630 (51.5%) received treatment for dyspnea, 242 (19.8%) used enteral/parenteral nutrition, 132 (10.8%) used appetite stimulants, and 129 (10.6%) used anxiolytics/antidepressants. Of the 799 patients who received analgesics, 173 (21.7%) reported that their symptoms were under control, and also those on other various treatment modalities (dyspnea: 78/627 [12.4%], appetite stimulant: 25/132 [18.9%], and anxiolytics/antidepressants: 25/129 [19.4%]) reported that their symptoms were controlled.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, the symptoms progressed and became more severe in the advanced stages of lung cancer, and palliative treatment was insufficient in most of the patients in Turkey.
authors: Department of Chest Diseases, School of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Bülbül
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Ozlu
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Arinc
authors: B A
authors: BA
authors: Ozyurek
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Gunbatar
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Senturk
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Bahadir
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Ozcelik
authors: U
authors: U
authors: Yilmaz
authors: M O
authors: MO
authors: Akbay
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Saglam
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Kilic
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Kirkil
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Ozcelik
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Tatar
authors: S A
authors: SA
authors: Baris
authors: D M
authors: DM
authors: Yavsan
authors: H S
authors: HS
authors: Sen
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Berk
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Acat
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Cakmak
authors: P F
authors: PF
authors: Yumuk
authors: Y S
authors: YS
authors: Intepe
authors: U
authors: U
authors: Toru
authors: S O
authors: SO
authors: Ayik
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Basyigit
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Ozkurt
authors: L C
authors: LC
authors: Mutlu
authors: Z A
authors: ZA
authors: Yasar
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Esme
authors: M M
authors: MM
authors: Erol
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Oruc
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Erdoğan
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Asker
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Ulas
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Erol
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Kerget
authors: A E
authors: AE
authors: Erbaycu
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Teke
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Beşiroğlu
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Can
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Dalli
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Talay
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015897:Comorbidity; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018307:Neoplasms, Squamous Cell; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D010166:Palliative Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics