Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39778633›Full record

ArticleJournal of pain and symptom management2025

Correlates of Perceived Illness Severity and Terminality in Advanced Lung and Prostate Cancer.

Michaela Di Palmo, Ekin Secinti, Ellen Krueger, Nasser H Hanna, Nabil Adra, Gregory A Durm, Lawrence Einhorn, Roberto Pili, Shadia I Jalal, Catherine E Mosher

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Article in Journal of pain and symptom management, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Michaela Di PalmoDepartment of Psychology (M.D.P, E.S., E.K., C.E.M.), Indiana University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Ekin SecintiDepartment of Psychology (M.D.P, E.S., E.K., C.E.M.), Indiana University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Ellen KruegerDepartment of Psychology (M.D.P, E.S., E.K., C.E.M.), Indiana University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Nasser H HannaDepartment of Medicine (N.H.H., N.A., G.A.D., L.E., S.I.J.), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center (N.H.H., N.A., G.A.D., L.E., S.I.J.), Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Nabil AdraDepartment of Medicine (N.H.H., N.A., G.A.D., L.E., S.I.J.), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center (N.H.H., N.A., G.A.D., L.E., S.I.J.), Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Gregory A DurmDepartment of Medicine (N.H.H., N.A., G.A.D., L.E., S.I.J.), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center (N.H.H., N.A., G.A.D., L.E., S.I.J.), Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Lawrence EinhornDepartment of Medicine (N.H.H., N.A., G.A.D., L.E., S.I.J.), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center (N.H.H., N.A., G.A.D., L.E., S.I.J.), Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Roberto PiliDepartment of Medicine (R.P.), Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA.
Shadia I JalalDepartment of Medicine (N.H.H., N.A., G.A.D., L.E., S.I.J.), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center (N.H.H., N.A., G.A.D., L.E., S.I.J.), Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Catherine E MosherDepartment of Psychology (M.D.P, E.S., E.K., C.E.M.), Indiana University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Electronic address: cemosher@iu.edu.

Funding

Interdisciplinary Training in Cancer Prevention and ControlT32CA117865 · NCI · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · PI Victoria Lee Champion, Catherine E Mosher · 2016 to 2026
$2.4M
NCI NIH HHS T32 CA117865
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

contextWhile prognostic awareness has been commonly assessed as perceived illness terminality in patients with advanced cancer, both perceptions of illness severity and terminality may be correlated with symptom burden and quality of life.

objectivesThe present study examined physical and psychological symptoms, quality of life, and smoking status in relation to perceived illness severity and terminality in patients with advanced, inoperable lung and prostate cancer.

methodsPatients (N=198) were recruited from hospitals in the midwestern U.S. to complete a one-time survey. Prognostic awareness was assessed in the following categories: "relatively healthy," "seriously ill but not terminally ill," or "seriously and terminally ill."

resultsOnly 12% reported an accurate prognostic awareness ("seriously and terminally ill") and 66% perceived themselves as "relatively healthy." Higher levels of anxiety, depressive symptoms, fatigue, and pain and worse quality of life were associated with a higher likelihood of reporting serious illness, irrespective of perceived illness terminality. Smoking status was unrelated to prognostic awareness. For patients with advanced lung cancer, greater breathlessness was associated with a higher likelihood of reporting serious or terminal illness.

conclusionOur findings suggest that perceiving cancer as serious, not just terminal, is related to symptom burden and quality of life. Results point to the need for interventions to improve prognostic understanding and coping with the disease.

Indexed as

Lung NeoplasmsProstatic NeoplasmsAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisQuality of LifeSeverity of Illness IndexAdvanced cancerprognostic awarenessquality of lifesymptoms

Identifiers

PMID39778633
PMCPMC11867841

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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.