title: Patient perceptions of symptoms and concerns during cancer chemotherapy: 'affects my family' is the most important.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer chemotherapy is associated with a variety of side effects/adverse events. It is very important that patients adhere to the planned chemotherapy regimen, which necessitates a minimum of side effects and that these side effects be kept under control. We have investigated patients' concerns and symptoms during chemotherapy with the aim to seek solutions that will improve patients' quality of life during chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-nine patients with malignant diseases on parenteral antineoplastic agents were sequentially enrolled in this study. These patients completed a questionnaire consisting of 42 items related to non-physical concerns and 52 items of physical symptoms related to chemotherapy. Each patient was also asked to select the three items among these 94 items which affected him/her the most.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of the cancer patients was 62 years and the male-to-female ratio was 18:31. Among the non-physical concerns, the most frequently chosen concern was 'affects my family or partner,' followed by anxiety related to treatment. Regarding the physical symptoms, the most frequent complaints were fatigue, alopecia and constipation, while the most troublesome symptoms were nausea, poor taste and paresthesia. Overall, the most frequently expressed concerns were 'affects my family or partner' and anxiety related to treatment. Male patients suffered most from fever, fatigue and nausea, and female patients complained more of poor taste and gastrointestinal problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patient perceptions of adverse events associated with cancer chemotherapy apparently have changed from physical symptoms to non-physical concerns. In our patient cohort 'affects my family or partner' was the most important concern. One important point to note is that female patients often complained of poor taste because this meant they were unable to cook well.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Hematology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Fukuoka University Hospital, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan. hsasaki@fukuoka-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.affiliation: General Medical Research Center School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Hematology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Fukuoka University Hospital, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Fukuoka University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogata
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Hematology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Fukuoka University Hospital, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mogi
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Hematology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Fukuoka University Hospital, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Hematology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Fukuoka University Hospital, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikari
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Hematology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Fukuoka University Hospital, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masaki
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Hematology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Fukuoka University Hospital, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Hematology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Fukuoka University Hospital, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takamatsu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000505:Alopecia / Q000139:chemically induced; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety; D005221:Fatigue / Q000139:chemically induced; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: Chemotherapy; Pain; Patient perceptions; Side effects