Abstract

Introduction: Cancer patients experience a variety of symptoms that can be physical or psychological. These symptoms may vary in terms of occurrence, severity and distress and can be the result of the illness or the treatment. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the frequency, severity and distress of symptoms that chemotherapy induces in cancer patients. Material-Method: This study included 200 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in a major city of Northern Greece. Data was collected using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale and Questionnaire, with demographic and clinical characteristics. Results: The vast majority of those included in the sample were male participants (n=127, 63.5%). Their mean age was 58.95 (SD=9.95, range 29-79). The most prevalent physical symptoms were numbness/tingling in the hands/feet (54%), followed by lack of energy (46%). Feeling nervous (52%) and having trouble sleeping (41%) were the two most common psychological symptoms. Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate that cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy experience various symptoms in high prevalence, and that they are quite severe. Therefore nurses should take into account these findings and plan appropriate, suitable care plans and interventions in order to alleviate them and improve patients’ quality of life.

Key words: chemotherapy, cancer, symptoms.