Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32889039›Full record

ArticleJournal of pain and symptom management2020

Stress and Symptom Burden in Oncology Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Christine Miaskowski, Steven M Paul, Karin Snowberg, Maura Abbott, Hala Borno, Susan Chang, Lee M Chen, Bevin Cohen, Marilyn J Hammer, Stacey A Kenfield and 6 more

Registry-linked trialOpen access · bronzeAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of pain and symptom management, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06036251 (COVID-19 Pandemic Induced Stress and Symptoms - Follow-up Study), which is not on this map. Cited by 76 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
76citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
8.6field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06036251 completednot on this mapstarted 2023, after this paper: background citation

COVID-19 Pandemic Induced Stress and Symptoms - Follow-up Study

TypeobservationalSponsorUniversity of California, San FranciscoRan2023 to 2023Enrolled415ConditionsStress Reaction, Stress, Emotional, Stress, COVID-19 PandemicArmsQuestionnaires
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

76 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 133 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Counting the social, psychological, and economic costs of COVID-19 for cancer patients.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2022
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  11. Self-efficacy for cancer self-management in the context of COVID-19: a cross-sectional survey study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
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16 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Christine MiaskowskiSchool of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA. Electronic address: chris.miaskowski@ucsf.edu.
Steven M PaulSchool of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
Karin SnowbergSchool of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
Maura AbbottColumbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
Hala BornoSchool of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
Susan ChangSchool of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
Lee M ChenSchool of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
Bevin CohenMount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
Marilyn J HammerDana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Stacey A KenfieldSchool of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
Kord M KoberSchool of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
Jon D LevineSchool of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
Rachel PozzarDana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Kim F RhoadsSchool of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
Erin L Van BlariganSchool of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
Katherine Van LoonSchool of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
University of California, San Francisco · USDana-Farber Cancer Institute · USColumbia University Irving Medical Center · USMount Sinai Medical Center · US

Funding

Diet After Colorectal Cancer : Observational Studies to Behavioral InterventionsK07CA197077 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI VAN BLARIGAN, ERIN LYNN · 2016 to 2020
$885k
NCI NIH HHS K07 CA197077
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

contextNo information is available on oncology patients' level of stress and symptom burden during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

objectivesTo evaluate for differences in demographic and clinical characteristics, levels of social isolation and loneliness, and the occurrence and severity of common symptoms between oncology patients with low vs. high levels of COVID-19 and cancer-related stress. In addition, to determine which of these characteristics were associated with membership in the high-stressed group.

methodsPatients were 18 years and older; had a diagnosis of cancer; and were able to complete an online survey.

resultsOf the 187 patients in this study, 31.6% were categorized in the stressed group (Impact of Event Scale-Revised [score of ≥24]). Stressed group's Impact of Event Scale-Revised score exceeds previous benchmarks in oncology patients and equates with probable post-traumatic stress disorder. In this stressed group, patients reported occurrence rates for depression (71.2%), anxiety (78.0%), sleep disturbance (78.0%), evening fatigue (55.9%), cognitive impairment (91.5%), and pain (75.9%). Symptom severity scores equate with clinically meaningful levels for each symptom.

conclusionWe identified alarmingly high rates of stress and an extraordinarily high symptom burden among patients with cancer, exceeding those previously benchmarked in this population and on par with noncancer patients with post-traumatic stress disorder. Given that the COVID-19 pandemic will likely impact cancer care for an indefinite period, clinicians must exhibit increased vigilance in their assessments of patients' level of stress and symptom burden. Moreover, an increase in referrals to appropriate supportive care resources must be prioritized for high-risk patients.

Indexed as

AgedCoronavirus InfectionsCOVID-19FemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasmsPandemicsPneumonia, ViralSeverity of Illness IndexStress, PsychologicalcancerCOVID-19lonelinesssocial isolationstressSymptoms

Identifiers

PMID32889039
PMCPMC7462969
OpenAlexW3082124704

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.