Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39167234›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2024

Self-report of symptom cluster experiences in cancer patient-caregiver dyads.

Kristine L Kwekkeboom, Jennifer M Stevens, Ashley Berghoff, Kristin Litzelman

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. The effect of yoga therapy consultations on symptom burden in inpatient cancer care: a retrospective observational study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Observational
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

4 authors.

Kristine L KwekkeboomSchool of Nursing, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA. kwekkeboom@wisc.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2459-0896
Jennifer M StevensSchool of Nursing, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3835-8038
Ashley BerghoffDepartment of Human Development and Family Studies, School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6866-4100
Kristin LitzelmanUniversity of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5542-6434

Funding

UW COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER SUPPORTP30CA014520 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI Justine Yang Bruce · 1985 to 2026
$142.6M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA 014520NCI NIH HHS P30 CA014520
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeSymptom clusters have important health implications in the context of cancer, but the symptom cluster experiences of cancer caregivers and patient-caregiver dyads are not well studied. To date, most studies report statistically derived symptom clusters among patients and fail to consider the caregivers' experience. This study aimed to assess and characterize self-reported symptom cluster experiences in cancer patient-caregiver dyads.

methodsWe recruited 30 patient-caregiver dyads from the outpatient oncology clinics at a Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Midwestern U.S. Participants completed web-based surveys reporting their symptom clusters at weekly intervals over 8 weeks of cancer treatment.

resultsAmong 48 eligible dyads, 30 (63%) agreed to participate, 29 provided data, and ≥ 80% (24 patients, 26 caregivers) completed the study. Twenty-eight patients (97%) and twenty-two caregivers (76%) reported experiencing symptoms in clusters. There was substantial variability in the symptoms reported, perceived causality, and directional relationships among symptoms, however both patients' and caregivers' frequently described symptom clusters with psychoneurologic components (co-occurring pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, lack of appetite and/or cognitive disturbance). Symptom clusters were perceived to have a moderate impact on patients' daily lives and a mild-to-moderate impact on caregivers' daily lives.

conclusionDyad members experienced and successfully self-reported symptom clusters, with psychoneurologic symptom clusters prevalent among both patients and their caregivers. Self-report of symptom cluster experiences provides unique insight relevant to clinical management. Findings provide foundational support for development and testing of dyad-based interventions to mitigate symptom clusters and their negative impact on daily life among cancer-patient caregiver dyads.

Indexed as

CaregiversNeoplasmsSelf ReportAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSurveys and QuestionnairesCancerCaregiversDyadSymptom cluster

Identifiers

PMID39167234
PMCPMC11346582

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.