An analysis of symptom burden and its predictive factors in patients with prostate cancer

Abstract

Objective To assess the symptom burden and its predictive factors in patients with prostate cancer. Methods A cross-sectional study of 370 men with prostate cancer were conducted in the department of urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. The questionnaire included a general questionnaire, Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite 26-item version (EPIC-26) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results The average score of EPIC-26 in patients with prostate cancer was 25.32±12.00. The sexual function (15.59±7.38) and endocrine disorder (4.09±3.70) scored higher in five domains. There were significant differences in symptom burden scores among different treatment methods (P < 0.01). Multiple linear regression showed that endocrine therapy, anxiety, prostate specific antigen (PSA) and income were the influencing factors of symptom burden in this population, which could explain 49.3% of symptom burden. Conclusions The symptom burden of patients with prostate cancer is heavy, especially during endocrine therapy. Health care provider should focus on assessing the psychology of them. What′s more, it is important to develop the symptom management and psychological support, especially for patients with lower income and advanced patients. Key words: Prostate neoplasm; Symptom burden; Predictive factors