ArticlePloS one2022
The Symptom Burden and Quality of Life in Cancer Patients in the Gaza Strip, Palestine: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Article in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 24 citations in OpenAlex.
- Assessment of psycho-oncology in the Middle East and North Africa region: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The oncologist · 2024Pooled it
- Cancer pain and its impact on quality of life, distress, and spiritual well-being in the war-torn Gaza Strip.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Article
- Stigma as a mediator in the impact of cancer-related symptoms on social relationships in survivors.Palliative & supportive care · 2026Article
- Dynamic Network Analysis of Symptom Profiles and Their Expected Impact on Patients with Colorectal Cancer Receiving Postoperative Adjuvant Chemotherapy.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Article
- Beyond Measurement: Strengthening HRQOL Research in Cancer.Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP · 2025Article
- Quality of Life and Coping Strategies of Palestinian Women with Breast Cancer in the West Bank: A Cross-Sectional Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Satisfaction and quality of life of Palestinian women with newly diagnosed breast cancer: a one-year follow-up study.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Impact of Symptom Distress on the Quality of Life of Oncology Palliative Care Patients: A Portuguese Cross-Sectional Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Factors influencing family resilience in adult patients with acute leukemia undergoing chemotherapy: A qualitative study.Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing · 2024Article
- Barriers to Timely Seeking of Breast Cancer Care Among Palestinian Women: A Cross-Sectional Study.JCO global oncology · 2024Article
- The caring experiences of family caregivers for patients with advanced cancer in Uganda: A qualitative study.PloS one · 2023Article
- A distress thermometer with a cutoff score of ≥ 6 is the optimal point to identify highly distressed patients with advanced cancer stages in resource-limited countries without palliative care services.Frontiers in oncology · 2023Article
- Analysis of the unmet needs of Palestinian advanced cancer patients and their relationship to emotional distress: results from a cross-sectional study.BMC palliative care · 2022Article
- Gathering policymakers' perspectives as an essential step in planning and implementing palliative care services at a national level: an example from a resource-limited country.BMC palliative care · 2022Article
- Psychological distress and associated factors among Palestinian advanced cancer patients: A cross-sectional study.Frontiers in psychology · 2022Article
- Awareness of ovarian cancer risk and protective factors: A national cross-sectional study from Palestine.PloS one · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesCancer is the second leading cause of death in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, but there is an absence of evidence systematically assessing symptom burden and quality of life (QoL) using validated tools. Our objective was to assess associations between socio-demographic and disease-related characteristics, symptom burden and QoL in a sample of cancer patients accessing outpatient services in the Gaza Strip.
designA cross-sectional, descriptive survey using interviews and medical record review involving patients with cancer accessing oncology outpatient services at Al Rantisi Hospital and European Gaza Hospital (EGH) in the Gaza Strip was employed. Socio-demographic and disease-related data, the Lebanese version of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS-Leb), and the Arabic version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) were collected. Multiple linear regression was used to judge the relative influence of determinants of QoL.
resultsOf 414 cancer patients approached, 385 patients consented to participation. The majority were women (64.7%) with a mean age of 52 years (SD = 16.7). Common cancer diagnoses were breast (32.2%), haematological (17.9%) and colorectal (9.1%). The median number of symptoms was 10 (IQR 1.5-18.5). Mean overall QoL was 70.5 (SD 19.9) with common physical and psychological symptoms identified. A higher burden of symptoms was associated with marital status, education and income. Limited access to both opioids and psychological support were reported.
conclusionsA high symptom burden was identified in outpatients with cancer. Increasing provision and access to supportive care for physical and psychological symptoms should be prioritised alongside exploring routine assessment of symptom burden and QoL.
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