Symptoms and Their Implications on Quality of Life and Psychological Distress in Sarcoma Patients

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate symptoms, their variation over time and their relationship with quality of life (QoL)/psychological distress in sarcoma patients, as few data regarding QoL and psychological distress in this set of patients are currently available. A total of 188 sarcoma patients from an Italian referral center were involved. Symptoms and financial difficulties were evaluated with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire from the first treatment and over the follow-up period, up to 6 years. The authors found that patients with sarcoma experience several symptoms, especially fatigue and pain, which may dramatically worsen QoL and psychological distress. In conclusion, patients with sarcoma often experience fatigue, pain and financial difficulties, which negatively impacts QoL and psychological distress. To ameliorate overall QoL, proper control of symptoms is necessary.

Uncovering the gaps: A systematic mixed studies review of quality of life measures in extremity soft tissue sarcoma

“…The current study showed that somatic symptoms, either by affecting functional status or by causing psychological distress, negatively affect extremity STS patients' QoL. 21,25,26 Thus, relieving pain and other somatic symptoms in STS patients may alleviate the patients' distress and enhance their HRQL. Comparing to the other chronic debilitating diseases, the psychological burden of somatic symptoms are more prominent in advanced STS.…”

“…The most common somatic symptoms experienced by the patients were fatigue and pain although the sources of pain varied. Lack of appetite, constipation, and lack of concentration were other symptoms experienced in STS 21,25 . Along with their adverse functional impact, somatic symptoms were associated with psychological distress and lower QoL in extremity STS patients 21,25,26 .…”

“…Ultimately, 11 studies with various designs were included in this review: eight quantitative studies (three cross‐sectional 20–22 and five cohort 23–27 ; two qualitative studies 9,28 (one focus group interview 9 and one semi‐structured interview 28 ); one mixed‐method study 29 (Table 2).…”

“…Patients with extremity STS report feeling tense and nervous about their diagnosis and treatment, which can lead to anxiety and depression if not properly addressed 24 . Somatic symptoms such as pain and fatigue, uncertainty regarding treatment options, delays between different treatment modalities, difficulties communicating with treatment providers, fear of lifestyle change including change of life role and loss of independence, and fear of the disease recurrence were identified as sources of distress in extremity STS patients 25,26,28 . In addition, poor performance status and having an unresectable tumor escalated distress presentation among sarcoma patients 24 .…”

“…QoL 24,26,27 along with the emotional burden of the disease, and the factors related to the emotional restoration 20,24,27,28 were explored and debated meticulously. Moreover, common symptoms experienced by patients with STS, 21,25 sources of information regarding their disease and treatment, as well as the coping strategies of patients with their disease and treatment side effects 9,23,28 were investigated in the included studies. They also evaluated the functional deficit impact on the patient's QoL 20,23,29 and the correlation between functional status and psychosocial distress.…”