Symptom frequency in patients with advanced cancer admitted to a palliative care unit in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Abstract

Background: Symptoms and their severity are among the main causes of suffering in patients with advanced cancer. Although knowledge of symptom prevalence is important for clinical practice, little is known about the frequency of symptoms in advanced cancer patients. Aims: To identify the most frequent cancer-related symptoms in a palliative care unit in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with advanced cancer admitted to the Palliative Care Unit at Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, between March 2019 and March 2020. We collected data from 387 patients’ records, including age, sex, cancer type, reported symptoms, and pain intensity. Pain intensity was measured using a numeric rating scale of no pain (0), mild (1 or 2), moderate (3–6), and severe (7–10). Results: Gastric (16.02%), breast (13.95%), colon (11.60%), ovarian (8.79%), and lung (5.94%) were the most frequent cancers. Patients reported 2582 symptoms. The most frequent symptoms were pain (91.2%), anorexia (86.7%), oral thrush (69.3%), nausea (55.6%), constipation (53.7%), fatigue (45.5%), and vomiting (40.1%). Based on pain intensity measurement, 72.2% of patients reported severe, 17.0% moderate, and 10.8% mild pain. Pain intensity and symptom frequency did not differ significantly by age, sex, and type of cancer. Conclusion: Cancer patients reported multiple symptoms. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, with limited palliative care services, these findings can guide palliative care centre doctors and nurses in symptom management