Change of patient perceptions of chemotherapy side effects in breast and ovarian cancer patients

Abstract

Aims In 1983, 1993, and 2002 results of studies identifying patient perceptions and individual ranking of chemotherapy side effects (CSE) were reported. We aimed to update this survey and evaluate changes in patient perceptions a further decade later. Method Patients with breast (BC) and ovarian cancer (OC) planned for chemotherapy were recruited in this prospective study. At week 12 +/- 3 weeks after chemotherapy initiation patients were asked to identify from 72 cards displaying potential physical and non-physical CSE the ten most burdensome and ranking them finally to top five by severity. Results are reported for the entire group and in comparison to published data. Additionally, socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were evaluated. Results In total, 126 patients (85 BC and 41 OC) were interviewed. The most severe CSE reported was "difficulty sleeping" compared to "vomiting" in 1983, "nausea" in 1993, and "affects my family/partner" in 2002 (table 1). "Loss of hair" remained a top concern over all studies. The most severe CSE in BC patients was "loss of hair" in contrast to "difficulty sleeping" in OC patients. Conclusion Conclusions Patient perceptions of CSE have changed markedly compared with previous studies. Especially taxane related CSE are reported more frequently. However, "loss of hair" has remained an unsolved problem over decades. Ranking the most severe CSE by cancer type demonstrated clinically relevant differences.