Peripheral Neurologic Symptoms, Pain and Associated Factors in Survivors with Breast or Colorectal Cancer

• Main Authors: CHEN, PI-FENG, 陳碧鳳
• Other Authors: Shiu-Yu, Katie C. Lee
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2018
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/c5vcxe

碩士 === 國立臺北護理健康大學 === 護理研究所 === 106 === Background: Patients who were treated with chemotherapy may be prone to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), and the problem of its coexistence of pain or paresthesia is a common issue of quality of life. But there were limited research in Taiwan. Objective: To investigate the peripheral neurologic symptoms, pain and associated factors in breast or colorectal cancer survivors. Methods: This is a correlation study. A total of 130 adults with breast cancer or colorectal cancer who had been treated with chemotherapy and diagnosed for at least one year were recruited via convenience sampling. Data gathered from medical records and questionnaires, including Brief Pain Inventory, Peripheral Nerve Symptom Distress Questionnaire and Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory. Results: The sample had a mean age of 61.4 (SD = 9.19) ; mostly were female or married, with high school or diploma education, not working or retired. Most of them had breast cancer (68.5%), cancer of stage II/III. The results showed that these patients experienced low severity but high frequency of related CIPN and pain. According to 10-point scale, the peripheral neurological symptoms were 2.8, the neuropathic pain was 0.9, the overall pain severity was 1.8, and the pain interference was 1.1. However, 60.8% of the patients had pain in the past week, 93.1% reported CIPN symptoms, and 80.8% had neuropathic pain. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that overall pain severity and interference increased as having pain management, and higher spontaneous persistent pain and paresthesia. Patients with advanced cancer also had higher pain severity. The pain interference on daily life also increased as higher provoked pain and muscle weakness. CIPN symptoms increased as receiving target therapy, and higher spontaneous persistent pain and provoked pain. Neuropathic pain increased as higher paresthesia, muscle weakness, joint pain or muscle cramps. Therefore, clinicians should actively assess peripheral neurological symptoms and its interference in cancer survivors who have received related chemotherapy.