PREVALENCE OF SYMPTOMS AMONG PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED CANCER - AN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIVE STUDY

The aims of this study were (a) to estimate the prevalence of pain and eight other common symptoms in a large population of patients with ad vanced cancer from different palliative care centers, and (b) to asses s the differences in prevalence of the symptoms by primary site. In 19 90-1991, the prevalence of eight major symptoms and performance status were assessed prospectively among 1840 cancer patients in seven hospi ces in Europe, the United States, and Australia. The data were collect ed at each institution using structured data collection sheets from th e World Health Organization's (WHO) Cancer and Palliative Care Unit. T he prevalence of moderate to severe pain was 51%, ranging from 43% in stomach cancer to 80% in gynecological cancers. Nausea was most preval ent in gynecological (42%) and stomach (36%) cancers, and dyspnea (46% ) in lung cancer There were statistically significant differences in t he prevalence of most symptoms depending on the primary site of cancer and the hospice, Population-based follow-up studies are needed to doc ument the incidence and prevalence of symptoms throughout the course o f the disease.