Gender differences in symptoms experienced by advanced cancer patients: a literature review
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Advanced cancer patients are multi-symptomatic and require attentive palliative care. As gender differences are apparent in multiple aspect of everyday life, this literature review aims to determine the gender differences seen in the population of advanced cancer patients and the symptoms that they experience.
METHODS: A literature review was conducted using the OvidSP Medline database from 1946 to November 2012. Randomized, prospective or retrospective cohort studies on advanced cancer patients who were undergoing any type of palliative treatments (palliative radiation, chemotherapy) or those in which palliative treatments have failed (antalgic treatment) were included. The patient population, tools/questionnaire used and gender differences in symptoms found statistically or qualitatively significant in the respective studies were extracted.
RESULTS: Of the 163 studies resulting from the literature search, nineteen publications were identified. Gender differences in multiple symptoms were discovered. Gender differences were commonly found in symptoms of emotional changes, fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea) anxiety, tension, sleep problems and pain.
CONCLUSION: At present, gender differences seen in the symptoms experienced by advanced cancer patients continues to be inconclusive. Further study investigating gender differences in the symptoms experienced by advanced cancer patients as the primary endpoint is recommended.
References
World HO. WHO Definition of Palliative Care. 2012. Available at: http://www.who.int/cancer/palliative/definition/en/. Last accessed December 2012
Walsh D, Rybicki L, Nelson KA, et al. Symptoms and prognosis in advanced cancer. Support Care Cancer 2002; 10: 385-8; http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00520-001-0318-z
Donnelly S, Walsh D. The symptoms of advanced cancer. Semin Oncol 1995; 22(2 Suppl 3): 67-72
Kirkova J, Rybicki L, Walsh D, et al. Symptom prevalence in advanced cancer: age, gender, and performance status interactions. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2012; 29: 139-45; http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1049909111410965
Cleeland CS. The measurement of pain from metastatic bone disease: capturing the patient’s experience. Clin Cancer Res 2006; 12: 6236s-42s; http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-06-0988
Piccinelli M, Wilkinson G. Gender differences in depression. Critical review. Br J Psychiatry 2000; 177: 486-92; http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.177.6.486
Franconi F, Brunelleschi S, Steardo L, et al. Gender differences in drug responses. Pharmacol Res 2007; 55: 81-95; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2006.11.001
Hafner H. Gender differences in schizophrenia. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2003; 28 Suppl 2: 17-54; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0306-4530(02)00125-7
Cheung WY, Le LW, Gagliese L. Age and gender differences in symptom intensity and symptom clusters among patients with metastatic cancer. Support Care Cancer 2011; 19: 417-23; http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00520-010-0865-2
Carey RG, Posavac EJ. Holistic care in a cancer care center. Nurs Res 1979; 28: 213-6; http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00006199-197907000-00007
Zimmermann C, Burman D, Swami N, et al. Determinants of quality of life in patients with advanced cancer. Support Care Cancer 2011; 19: 621-9; http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00520-010-0866-1
Sela RA, Bruera E, Conner-spady B, et al. Sensory and affective dimensions of advanced cancer pain. Psychooncology 2002; 11: 23-34; http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pon.551
Zeng L, Koo K, Zhang L, et al. Fatigue in advanced cancer patients attending an outpatient palliative radiotherapy clinic as screened by the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System. Support Care Cancer 2012; 20: 1037-42; http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1179-8
Zimmermann C, Burman D, Follwell M, et al. Predictors of symptom severity and response in patients with metastatic cancer. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2010; 27: 175-181; http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1049909109346307
Dunlop G. A Study of the Relative Frequency and Importance of Gastrointestinal Symptoms, and Weakness in Patients with Far Advanced Cancer: Student Paper. Palliative medicine 1989; 4: 37-43; http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026921639000400108
Walsh D, Donnelly S, Rybicki L. The symptoms of advanced cancer: relationship to age, gender, and performance status in 1,000 patients. Support Care Cancer 2000; 8: 175-9; http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s005200050281
Reuben DB, Mor V. Nausea and vomiting in terminal cancer patients. Arch Intern Med 1986; 146: 2021-3; http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinte.146.10.2021
Mercadante S, Casuccio A, Fulfaro F. The course of symptom frequency and intensity in advanced cancer patients followed at home. J Pain Symptom Manage 2000; 20: 104-12; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0885-3924(00)00160-3
Mercadante S, Fulfaro F, Casuccio A. The impact of home palliative care on symptoms in advanced cancer patients. Support Care Cancer 2000; 8: 307-10; http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s005209900110
Komurcu S, Nelson KA, Walsh D, et al. Gastrointestinal symptoms among inpatients with advanced cancer. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2002; 19: 351-5; http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/104990910201900513
Kanbayashi Y, Okamoto K, Ogaru T, et al. Statistical validation of the relationships of cancer pain relief with various factors using ordered logistic regression analysis. Clin J Pain 2009; 25: 65-72; http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/AJP.0b013e31817e1379
Mercadante S, Casuccio A, Pumo S, et al. Factors influencing the opioid response in advanced cancer patients with pain followed at home: the effects of age and gender. Support Care Cancer 2000; 8: 123-30; http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s005200050026
Tu MS, Chiou CP. Perceptual consistency of pain and quality of life between hospice cancer patients and family caregivers: a pilot study. Int J Clin Pract 2007; 61: 1686-91; http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1742-1241.2007.01347.x
Heedman PA, Strang P. Symptom assessment in advanced palliative home care for cancer patients using the ESAS: clinical aspects. Anticancer Res 2001; 21: 4077-82
Mystakidou K, Tsilika E, Parpa E, et al. Self-efficacy beliefs and levels of anxiety in advanced cancer patients. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl) 2010; 19: 205-11; http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2354.2008.01039.x
Holzner B, Kemmler G, Cella D, et al. Normative data for functional assessment of cancer therapy – general scale and its use for the interpretation of quality of life scores in cancer survivors. Acta Oncol 2004; 43: 153-160; http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02841860310023453
Pater JL, Zee B, Palmer M, et al. Fatigue in patients with cancer: results with National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group studies employing the EORTC QLQ-C30. Support Care Cancer 1997; 5: 410-3; http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s005200050100
Kroenke K, Wood DR, Mangelsdorff AD, et al. Chronic fatigue in primary care. Prevalence, patient characteristics, and outcome. JAMA 1988; 260: 929-34; http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.260.7.929
Husain AF, Stewart K, Arseneault R, et al. Women experience higher levels of fatigue than men at the end of life: a longitudinal home palliative care study. J Pain Symptom Manage 2007; 33: 389-97; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2006.09.019
Akechi T, Kugaya A, Okamura H, et al. Fatigue and its associated factors in ambulatory cancer patients: a preliminary study. J Pain Symptom Manage 1999; 17: 42-8; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0885-3924(98)00105-5
Pascoe S, Edelman S, Kidman A. Prevalence of psychological distress and use of support services by cancer patients at Sydney hospitals. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2000; 34: 785-91; http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/j.1440-1614.2000.00817.x
Aass N, Fossa SD, Dahl AA, et al. Prevalence of anxiety and depression in cancer patients seen at the Norwegian Radium Hospital. Eur J Cancer 1997; 33: 1597-604; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0959-8049(97)00054-3
Linden W, Vodermaier A, Mackenzie R, et al. Anxiety and depression after cancer diagnosis: prevalence rates by cancer type, gender, and age. J Affect Disord 2012; 141: 343-51; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2012.03.025
Keogh E, Bond FW, Hanmer R, et al. Comparing acceptance- and control-based coping instructions on the cold-pressor pain experiences of healthy men and women. European Journal of Pain 2005; 9: 591-8; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpain.2004.12.005
Soetanto AL, Chung JW, Wong TK. Are there gender differences in pain perception? J Neurosci Nurs 2006; 38: 172-6; http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01376517-200606000-00006
Fillingim RB, Maixner W. Gender differences in the responses to noxious stimuli. Pain Forum 1995; 4: 209-21
Rieker PP, Bird CE. Rethinking gender differences in health: why we need to integrate social and biological perspectives. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2005; 60: 40-7; http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/geronb/60.Special_Issue_2.S40
Chavannes NH, Huibers MJ, Schermer TR, et al. Associations of depressive symptoms with gender, body mass index and dyspnea in primary care COPD patients. Fam Pract 2005; 22: 604-7; http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cmi056
Chen W, Woods SL, Puntillo KA. Gender differences in symptoms associated with acute myocardial infarction: a review of the research. Heart Lung 2005; 34: 240-7; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.hrtlng.2004.12.004
Chen W, Woods SL, Wilkie DJ, et al. Gender differences in symptom experiences of patients with acute coronary syndromes. J Pain Symptom Manage 2005; 30: 553-62; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2005.06.004
Full Text: HTML PDF
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.