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Prediction of breast cancer–related outcomes with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale: A literature review

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Supportive Care in Cancer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) is a validated tool used in patients with varied cancer diagnoses to measure patient symptoms. The present manuscript will review the literature assessing the ability of the ESAS to predict patient-related outcomes in breast cancer patients.

Methods

A literature search was conducted of Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases, Ovid MEDLINE, and Embase for English articles that investigated the use of predictive modelling with the ESAS in the breast cancer population. Study type, publication year, sample size, patient demographics, predicted outcomes, and strongest predictive factors/symptoms were summarized for each study.

Results

A total of nine articles were included in this review. Five articles used the ESAS in predictive models to determine patient time to death. ESAS was also used to predict emergency department visits, determine symptoms associated with decreased quality of life, and generate a Health Utility Score. Lack of appetite was the most common ESAS symptom, as it was reported in five studies to be associated with decreased survival. In four of the nine articles, an additional survey investigating physical functioning was used in combination with ESAS to strengthen the predictive models.

Conclusions

Included studies support the use of ESAS in predictive models, particularly for predicting survival. Using the ESAS as a predictive tool allows for more accurate time to death predictions, potentially improving symptom management and preventing overtreatment of palliative patients near the end of life.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada

    Lauren Milton, Tara Behroozian, Natalie Coburn, Maureen Trudeau, Yasmeen Razvi, Erin McKenzie, Irene Karam, Henry Lam & Edward Chow

Authors
  1. Lauren Milton
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  2. Tara Behroozian
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  3. Natalie Coburn
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  4. Maureen Trudeau
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  5. Yasmeen Razvi
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  6. Erin McKenzie
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  7. Irene Karam
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  8. Henry Lam
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  9. Edward Chow
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Correspondence to Edward Chow.

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Appendix. Search terms

Appendix. Search terms

Database: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trails databases <January 2020>

  1. 1.

    exp Breast Neoplasms/ (12522)

  2. 2.

    [(breast adj1 (cancer* or neoplasm* or carcinoma or tumor* or tumour*)).tw,kf.] (0)

  3. 3.

    or/1-2 (12522)

  4. 4.

    (Edmonton adj3 Symptom* adj3 (Assessment* or Scale*)).mp. (183)

  5. 5.

    3 and 4 (2)

  6. 6.

    limit 5 to english language (0)

Database: Ovid MEDLINE <1946 to February 12, 2020>

  1. 1.

    exp Breast Neoplasms/ (286537)

  2. 2.

    (breast adj1 (cancer* or neoplasm* or carcinoma or tumor* or tumour*)).tw,kf. (296495)

  3. 3.

    or/1-2 (370841)

  4. 4.

    (Edmonton adj3 Symptom* adj3 (Assessment* or Scale*)).mp. (713)

  5. 5.

    3 and 4 (38)

  6. 6.

    limit 5 to english language (38)

Database: Embase <1946 to 2020 Week 06>

  1. 1.

    exp breast cancer/ (462954)

  2. 2.

    (breast adj1 (cancer* or neoplasm* or carcinoma or tumor* or tumour*)).tw,kw. (429867)

  3. 3.

    or/1-2 (558112)

  4. 4

    (Edmonton adj3 Symptom* adj3 (Assessment* or Scale*)).mp. (1525)

  5. 5.

    3 and 4 (141)

  6. 6.

    limit 5 to english language (141)

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Milton, L., Behroozian, T., Coburn, N. et al. Prediction of breast cancer–related outcomes with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale: A literature review. Support Care Cancer 29, 595–603 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-020-05755-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-020-05755-9

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