Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31760520›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2020

Association between alcoholism and symptom expression, patient symptom goals, and clinical response in advanced cancer patients.

Sebastiano Mercadante, Claudio Adile, Patrizia Ferrera, Alessandra Casuccio

Abstract readMulticenter Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

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2citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Sebastiano MercadanteMain Regional Center for Pain Relief and Supportive-Palliative Care Unit, La Maddalena Cancer Center, Palermo, Italy. terapiadeldolore@lamaddalenanet.it.
Claudio AdileMain Regional Center for Pain Relief and Supportive-Palliative Care Unit, La Maddalena Cancer Center, Palermo, Italy.
Patrizia FerreraMain Regional Center for Pain Relief and Supportive-Palliative Care Unit, La Maddalena Cancer Center, Palermo, Italy.
Alessandra CasuccioDepartment of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother Child Care, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimThe aim of this study was to determine the influence of alcoholism on symptom expression, personalized symptom goal (PSG) and patient goal response (PGR), and patient global impression (PGI) in advanced cancer patients.

methodsThis was a secondary analysis of an international multicenter study. Advanced cancer patients who had a history of alcohol dependence positive, according to CAGE (cut down, annoy, guilt, eye-opener), were selected. Thirty patients (3.45%) were CAGE-positive. This sample was matched with 30 patients with similar characteristics who were CAGE-negative. Patients rated symptom intensity by using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Score (ESAS) at admission (T0) and then after 1 week. For each symptom, patients reported their PSG. After a week of comprehensive palliative care, PSG was measured again (T7), as well as the achievement of PGR, and PGI. Minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was calculated by PGI of improvement or deterioration at T7 (bit better or a little worse, respectively).

resultsA significant decrease in intensity was found for most symptoms in both groups. In CAGE-negative and CAGE-positive patients, most patients had a PSG of ≤ 3 for all ESAS items as a target at T0. All PSG targets did not changed significantly after 1 week of palliative care in both groups. Although CAGE-positive basically had unfavorable PGI and PGR, a statistical significance was achieved only for appetite (P = 0.037; ANOVA test). In CAGE-negative patients, Karnofsky was the only factor independently associated with PGI for pain and dyspnea. Factors independently associated with PGI for nausea were symptom intensity at T0 and home situation. In CAGE-positive patients, Karnofsky was independently associated with PGI for pain, nausea, and well-being. Symptom intensity at T0 was independently associated with PGI for weakness.

conclusionCAGE-positive advanced cancer patients favorably responded to a palliative care intervention. No greater differences have been found in comparison with CAGE-negative patients for PSG, PGR, and PGI, except for appetite. Further studies with large number of patients could confirm some trends observed in this study.

Indexed as

AgedAlcoholismFemaleGoalsHumansMaleNeoplasmsSymptom AssessmentAdvanced cancer patientsAlcoholismClinical responseGlobal impressionPatients’ goalsSymptom burden

Identifiers

PMID31760520

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