Identification and Validation of Symptom Clusters in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
10.4040/jkan.2009.39.5.683
- Author:
Myung Sook CHO
1
;
In Gak KWON
;
Hee Sun KIM
;
Kyunghee KIM
;
Eunjung RYU
Author Information
1. Department of Clinical Nursing Science, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. ingak.kwon@samsung.com
- Publication Type:Original Article ; English Abstract
- Keywords:
Symptom;
Cluster;
Hepatocellular carcinoma
- MeSH:
Adult;
Aged;
Anxiety;
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/diagnosis/*psychology/secondary;
Checklist;
Cluster Analysis;
Cross-Sectional Studies;
Demography;
Depression;
Fatigue;
Female;
Humans;
Liver Function Tests;
Liver Neoplasms/diagnosis/*psychology;
Male;
Middle Aged;
Severity of Illness Index
- From:Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
2009;39(5):683-692
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify cancer-related symptom clusters and to validate the conceptual meanings of the revealed symptom clusters in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional survey and methodological study. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (N=194) were recruited from a medical center in Seoul. The 20-item Symptom Checklist was used to assess patients' symptom severity. Selected symptoms were factored using principal-axis factoring with varimax rotation. To validate the revealed symptom clusters, the statistical differences were analyzed by status of patients' performance status, Child-Pugh classification, and mood state among symptom clusters. RESULTS: Fatigue was the most prevalent symptom (97.4%), followed by lack of energy and stomach discomfort. Patients' symptom severity ratings fit a four-factor solution that explained 61.04% of the variance. These four factors were named pain-appetite cluster, fatigue cluster, itching-constipation cluster, and gastrointestinal cluster. The revealed symptom clusters were significantly different for patient performance status (ECOG-PSR), Child-Pugh class, anxiety, and depression. CONCLUSION: Knowing these symptom clusters may help nurses to understand reasonable mechanisms for the aggregation of symptoms. Efficient symptom management of disease-related and treatment-related symptoms is critical in promoting physical and emotional status in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
