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Symptom clusters and quality of life in ambulatory patients with multiple myeloma

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate symptom clusters and associated clinical factors in ambulatory multiple myeloma patients undergoing medication therapy. We also aimed to determine the correlations between symptom clusters and patient quality of life.

Methods

A total of 174 multiple myeloma patients hospitalized in the haematology day unit were included in this study. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to examine symptoms and quality of life. Symptoms were assessed by the Chinese version of the Condensed Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale. Quality of life was measured with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General. Principal component analysis was used to identify symptom clusters. Independent-samples t tests and chi-square tests were used for comparisons between groups. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis was used to identify correlations.

Results

We identified three symptom clusters in multiple myeloma patients: psychological; pain, dry mouth, and difficulty sleeping; and fatigue symptom cluster. For each symptom cluster, the patients could be categorized into a severe-symptom group or a mild-symptom group based on the distress of symptoms. The patients in each group exhibited differential demographic and clinical features. Symptom cluster distress was adversely correlated with patients’ quality of life.

Conclusions

Ambulatory multiple myeloma patients undergoing anticancer medication therapy experience multiple symptoms, which can be categorized into three symptom clusters. For each symptom cluster, level of distress was associated with patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics. The presence and level of distress of these symptom clusters have adverse impacts on patients’ quality of life.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.

Code availability

Not applicable.

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Funding

This work was supported by grants to F.C. from the West China Nursing Discipline Development Special Fund Project of Sichuan University (grant number HXHL19039) and Sichuan Provincial Health Committee Research Grant (grant number 16PJ350) and grants to Y.Z. from the National Science Foundation of China (grant number 82070219), Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province (grant number 2019YJ0028), and the Sichuan University Faculty Start Fund.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University/West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, #37 Guo Xue Xiang Street, Chengdu, 610041, China

    Fengjiao Chen, Yamei Leng & Jingyao Ni

  2. Department of Hematology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, #37 Guo Xue Xiang Street, Chengdu, 610041, China

    Ting Niu, Li Zhang & Yuhuan Zheng

  3. Department of Nursing, West China Hospital, Sichuan University/West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, #37 Guo Xue Xiang Street, Chengdu, 610041, China

    Jiping Li

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  1. Fengjiao Chen
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  2. Yamei Leng
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  3. Jingyao Ni
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  4. Ting Niu
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  5. Li Zhang
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  7. Yuhuan Zheng
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Contributions

Conceptualization: Yamei Leng; methodology: Fengjiao Chen; formal analysis and investigation: Jingyao Ni, Li Zhang; writing (original draft preparation): Fengjiao Chen; writing (review and editing): Yuhuan Zheng, Jiping Li; funding acquisition: Fengjiao Chen, Yuhuan Zheng; resources: Yamei Leng, Ting Niu; supervision: Jiping Li.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jiping Li or Yuhuan Zheng.

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Ethics approval

Approval was obtained from the Biomedical Research Ethical Committee of West China Hospital (no. 2019504). The procedures used in this study adhere to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Not applicable.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Chen, F., Leng, Y., Ni, J. et al. Symptom clusters and quality of life in ambulatory patients with multiple myeloma. Support Care Cancer 30, 4961–4970 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-022-06896-9

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