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Association between alcoholism and symptom expression, patient symptom goals, and clinical response in advanced cancer patients

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Abstract

Aim

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of alcoholism on symptom expression, personalized symptom goal (PSG) and patient goal response (PGR), and patient global impression (PGI) in advanced cancer patients.

Methods

This was a secondary analysis of an international multicenter study. Advanced cancer patients who had a history of alcohol dependence positive, according to CAGE (cut down, annoy, guilt, eye-opener), were selected. Thirty patients (3.45%) were CAGE-positive. This sample was matched with 30 patients with similar characteristics who were CAGE-negative. Patients rated symptom intensity by using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Score (ESAS) at admission (T0) and then after 1 week. For each symptom, patients reported their PSG. After a week of comprehensive palliative care, PSG was measured again (T7), as well as the achievement of PGR, and PGI. Minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was calculated by PGI of improvement or deterioration at T7 (bit better or a little worse, respectively).

Results

A significant decrease in intensity was found for most symptoms in both groups. In CAGE-negative and CAGE-positive patients, most patients had a PSG of ≤ 3 for all ESAS items as a target at T0. All PSG targets did not changed significantly after 1 week of palliative care in both groups. Although CAGE-positive basically had unfavorable PGI and PGR, a statistical significance was achieved only for appetite (P = 0.037; ANOVA test). In CAGE-negative patients, Karnofsky was the only factor independently associated with PGI for pain and dyspnea. Factors independently associated with PGI for nausea were symptom intensity at T0 and home situation. In CAGE-positive patients, Karnofsky was independently associated with PGI for pain, nausea, and well-being. Symptom intensity at T0 was independently associated with PGI for weakness.

Conclusion

CAGE-positive advanced cancer patients favorably responded to a palliative care intervention. No greater differences have been found in comparison with CAGE-negative patients for PSG, PGR, and PGI, except for appetite. Further studies with large number of patients could confirm some trends observed in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Main Regional Center for Pain Relief and Supportive-Palliative Care Unit, La Maddalena Cancer Center, Palermo, Italy

    Sebastiano Mercadante, Claudio Adile & Patrizia Ferrera

  2. Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit & Pain Relief and Palliative Care Unit, La Maddalena Cancer Center, Via san Lorenzo 312, 90145, Palermo, Italy

    Sebastiano Mercadante

  3. Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother Child Care, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    Alessandra Casuccio

Authors
  1. Sebastiano Mercadante
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  2. Claudio Adile
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  3. Patrizia Ferrera
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  4. Alessandra Casuccio
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Correspondence to Sebastiano Mercadante.

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Local institutional review boards at all participating centers approved the protocol, and written informed consent was obtained from all patients.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Mercadante, S., Adile, C., Ferrera, P. et al. Association between alcoholism and symptom expression, patient symptom goals, and clinical response in advanced cancer patients. Support Care Cancer 28, 3361–3369 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-05152-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-05152-x

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