Symptom clusters in patients with lung cancer: a literature review

Abstract

Symptom cluster exploration is a developing area of research in the oncology field and is promising in providing insights into diagnosis, prognostication and symptom management. Disparities in methodology are significant barriers to producing comparable results. These inconsistencies result in a lack of consensus in symptom clusters in lung cancer populations, thus impeding the determination of clinically relevant findings.

Impact of symptom clusters on quality of life outcomes in patients from japan with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancers

“…[19] pointed out the inconsistency in the analytical methods to identify symptom clusters. Henoch et al .…”

“…indicated that symptom clusters in lung cancer patients lack quantitative and structural consistency, and demonstrated discrepancies in sample population characteristics and methodologies, such as in the assessment tools and analysis techniques. [19] Specifically, in lung cancer, empirical research studies have identified four symptom clusters comprising 2 to 11 distinct symptoms, and specific symptom clusters have been named [Table 1]. [20212223242526]…”

Advancing Symptom Science Through Symptom Cluster Research: Expert Panel Proceedings and Recommendations

“…Following the challenge from the Symptom Management Research Group at the University of California, San Francisco, to the scientific community to consider the concept of a "symptom cluster" (17) and the publication of a state of the science lecture on symptom cluster research in oncology patients (18), a number of review articles have examined the conceptual and methodological issues associated with defining the characteristics of a symptom cluster (19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28). Three topics were the foci for the discussion of the "state of the science" in the area of defining characteristics of symptom clusters, namely conceptual issues, empiric identification of symptom clusters, and changes in symptom clusters over time.…”

“…In addition, in a review of the gastrointestinal symptom cluster in oncology patients (26), of the 40 clusters identified across the studies evaluated, 38 clusters included different combinations of co-occurring symptoms. Finally in a review of five studies of symptom clusters in patients with lung cancer (24), only a nausea/vomiting and a respiratory cluster were common across two of the studies.…”

Influential variables on the timing of help-seeking behavior in lung cancer patients.

“…This combination of symptoms is referred to as a symptom cluster (Sarna & Brecht, 1997). A recent review of the literature by Chen et al (2011) found inconsistencies regarding symptom clusters in individuals with lung cancer. Studies identifying symptom clusters in lung cancer patients are inconsistent with both the number of symptom clusters specific to this disease as well as the type of symptoms within each symptom cluster.…”