Symptom clusters are defined as two or more concurrent symptoms that are related and may or may not have a common cause. The aim of this study was to investigate the cluster of symptoms in cancer patients.
METHODS
Medline, PubMed, and Cochrane can be accessed online.
These resources and printed journals were screened in Turkey.
Studies that investigated predetermined clusters were not
included.
RESULTS
We identified seven individual studies and one group of five
studies validating the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory.
Two of the seven individual studies and the group of five studies
that had validated the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory
included patients with any cancer type; another studies
included breast cancer patients; and two studies included lung
cancer patients only.
CONCLUSION
Research on symptom clusters is still at an early stage. Multiple
symptoms clearly affect prognosis, quality of life, and
functional status. The study of symptom clusters has important
implications regarding patient management.