Assessment of symptom intensity and psychological well-being of patients with advanced cancer undergoing palliative care in a Brazilian public hospital: A cross-sectional study.

Abstract

The characterization of clinical-emotional aspects of advanced cancer patients is essential for palliative care. To date, there is scarce information regarding the socio-demographic and clinical profiles, as well as the quality of care given to hospitalized patients under this condition, particularly in South American countries. The objectives of this study were to analyze the socio-demographic profile, symptoms (including psychological well-being), and the quality of life of advanced cancer patients admitted to the oncology ward of the General Hospital of the University of Campinas, Brazil. In this cross-sectional study, patients were invited to fill the selected questionnaires such as Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) and Palliative Care Outcome Scale (POS). Descriptive analyses were performed, regarding socio-demographic profile, symptoms, level of information over treatment aims, and quality-of-life scores. Fifty-nine patients were included, of whom 29 were male and 30 female, with a mean age of 58 years. Overall, 31.9% presented pain at the time of the interview, 52.5% depression, and 76.3% anxiety. The median individual scores for ESAS and POS (and interquartile range) were, respectively, 27 (17-41) and 14 (9-19). Patients with previous knowledge of treatment objectives reported worse depression scores in the ESAS (median 2 vs. 0, p 0.02), even when correcting for possible confounders. In contrast to current literature, in which pain is a prevalent report, depression and anxiety were more evident in this specific population of hospitalized patients. This framework reflects the need for valuing not only physical but also emotional symptoms to achieve the integrality of care.