Cancer patients with pain or depression often also have physical symptoms, such as fatigue, dry mouth and nausea, that can cause disability, a new study shows.
“This study strengthens the case for improving the recognition and treatment of somatic symptoms in patients with cancer,” the researchers said in a news release.
Kurt Kroenke, of the Richard Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indiana University, and the Regenstrief Institute Inc, Indianapolis, and his colleagues analyzed data from 405 cancer patients who had pain or depression. A 22-item scale was used to measure somatic symptom burden.
All the patients reported at least one of the 22 physical symptoms examined in the study, and more than 50% had 15 of the 22 symptoms. The somatic burden was similiar in patients with different types and phases of cancer.
Fatigue was the most common symptom (97.5%), followed by difficulty sleeping (about 79%), pain in limbs or joints (78%), back pain (nearly 75%) and memory problems (72%).
The mean number of self-reported disability days in the previous 4 weeks was 16.9, including 5.7 days in bed and 11.2 days when patients reduced their activity by 50% or more.
In the previous 3 months, 32% of patients had three to five outpatient visits; 28% had six to 10 visits; and 26% had more than 10 visits. Thirty-eight percent were hospitalized at least once, and one third visited the emergency department at least once.
The findings are reported Oct. 11 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
“Given the strong association with disability and the high prevalence of many types of symptoms, recognizing and managing somatic symptoms may be important in improving quality of life and functional status regardless of type or phase of cancer,” the authors concluded.