Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37715838›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2023

Assessing suffering of patients on cancer treatment and of those no longer treated using ESAS-Total Care (TC).

Guido Miccinesi, Carla Ripamonti, Silvia Leoni, Monica Gandelli, Patricia Di Pede, Vania Visani, Paolo Ambrosini, Giulia De Feo, Laura Bellandi, Luisa Toffolatti and 3 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 25% 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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. The relationship between suffering, loneliness, social interaction, and perceived symptoms in advanced cancer patients.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Observational
  3. Routine symptom screening and supportive care needs.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Guido MiccinesiClinical Epidemiology Unit, Oncological Network Prevention and Research Institute (ISPRO), Florence, Italy.
Carla RipamontiPalliative Medicine, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, Universita' degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy. carla.ripamonti@unibs.it.
Silvia LeoniFondazione ANT Italia ONLUS, Bologna, Italy.
Monica GandelliInternistic and Geriatric Supportive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Patricia Di PedeInternistic and Geriatric Supportive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Vania VisaniFondazione ANT Italia ONLUS, Bologna, Italy.
Paolo AmbrosiniDepartment of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Fondazione Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
Giulia De FeoInternistic and Geriatric Supportive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Laura BellandiFondazione ANT Italia ONLUS, Bologna, Italy.
Luisa ToffolattiInternistic and Geriatric Supportive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Cosimo ChelazziPalliative Medicine, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, Universita' degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
Consuelo TrinciFondazione ANT Italia ONLUS, Bologna, Italy.
Francesca ChiesiDepartment of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug, and Child's Health (NEUROFARBA), Section of Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori · ITANT Foundation Italy Onlus · ITUniversity of Brescia · ITPiedmont Reference Center for Epidemiology and Cancer Prevention · ITUniversity of Florence · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimThe aim of the study was to assess the suffering of patients on oncologic treatment and of those no longer on treatment. Preliminarily, we aimed to confirm the psychometric properties of Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-Total Care (ESAS-TC) in different stages of the disease. The ESAS-TC screens physical and psychological symptoms, but also spiritual pain, discomfort deriving from financial problems associated with illness, and suffering related to social isolation.

methodsA sample of consecutive advanced cancer patients on oncologic therapies treated at the Internistic and Geriatric Supportive Care Unit (IGSCU) of Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, and of terminal patients no longer on treatment and cared for by the Fondazione ANT palliative home care team were asked to fill the ESAS-TC. In order to strengthen the previous validation study of the ESAS-TC, 3-ULS (to assess social isolation), JSWBS (to assess spiritual well-being), COST-IT (to assess financial distress), and KPS (to assess functional status) were administered too.

resultsThe questionnaires were self-reported by 108 patients on treatment (52% >60 years old, female 53%, and 61% with KPS 90-100) and by 94 home care patients (71% >60 years old, female 51%, and 68% with KPS 10-50). The sound psychometric characteristics of ESAS-TC were confirmed. Patients on treatment showed lower total ESAS-TC score (19.3 vs 52.7, p<.001) after controlling for age and functional status, and lower financial distress (p.<001). Financial distress, spiritual suffering, and social isolation, after controlling for age, showed a significantly higher score in home care patients.

conclusionsOnly through an adequate routine assessment with validated tools is it possible to detect total suffering, the "Total pain" of patients, and treat it through a multidisciplinary approach. The study confirms the reliability and validity of the Italian version of ESAS-TC and the importance of supportive and early palliative care fully integrated with oncological treatment.

Indexed as

Home Care ServicesHospice and Palliative Care NursingNeoplasmsAgedAnxietyFemaleHumansMiddle AgedPainReproducibility of ResultsFinancialHome palliative careIsolationOncologic treatmentsPsychometric validationSpiritualityTerminal cancerTotal care

Identifiers

PMID37715838
PMCPMC10505109
OpenAlexW4386806340

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.