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Longitudinal perceptions of the side effects of chemotherapy in patients with gynecological cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to assess the incidence and difference of side effects among six courses of chemotherapy (C/T) in gynecological cancer patients.

Methods

The study period was from Sep. 2010 to Dec. 2011 at the Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan. The treating protocols, courses, and drugs of C/T in patient were considered according to the different malignant cancers and clinical conditions. The patient data of age, marriage status, education, religion, and experiences of C/T were collected. The patients’ or their families’ reported side effects of C/T were recorded daily from the beginning of C/T to the 10th day after C/T in each cycle and every course of C/T.

Results

Total 89 patients enrolled into the study received total 450 courses of C/T. The mean age was 54.52 ± 11.02. Ovarian cancer was the most common malignant disease (64.0%). The most often combination of drugs used was Taxol and carboplatin (40.9%). Patients complained peripheral numbness of limbs, with the highest incidence of 58.6%. The side effects with incidence about 50% were decreased fatigue (55.0%) and hair loss (49.9%). Other side effects with different levels of incidence were also noticed, such as lack of appetite, changes in taste, and muscle ache. The incidences of peripheral limb numbness and hair loss were increased with following courses of C/T. The high incidence of fatigue did not show variation between different courses of C/T.

Conclusion

This study revealed the incidence of side effects and occurrence timing during C/T in patients with gynecological cancer. These data provide substantial information to patients and their families to understand the potential side effects of C/T courses, which might increase their compliance in receiving adjuvant C/T. Relieving the side effects in C/T would be important to improve their quality of daily life and treatment willingness.

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Acknowledgements

The study was supported by grants from Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan (VGHKS103-086), and Veterans General Hospital—National Sun Yat-Sen University (VGHNSU103-006), Taiwan.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nursing, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Hui-Chun Hsu, Su-Yu Tsai & Shiow-Roug Jeang

  2. Health Care and the University of Technology Graduate School of The Meiho University, Pingtung, Taiwan

    Hui-Chun Hsu & Mei-Yao Ho

  3. Environment and Population Health, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia

    Shang-Liang Wu

  4. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, 386, Ta-Chung 1st Road, Kaohsiung, 813, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Wen-Shiung Liou & An-Jen Chiang

  5. Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Wen-Shiung Liou & An-Jen Chiang

  6. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan

    Wen-Shiung Liou & An-Jen Chiang

  7. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan

    An-Jen Chiang

  8. Department of Medical Education and Research, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Tsung-Hsien Chang

Authors
  1. Hui-Chun Hsu
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  2. Su-Yu Tsai
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  3. Shang-Liang Wu
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  4. Shiow-Roug Jeang
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  5. Mei-Yao Ho
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  6. Wen-Shiung Liou
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  7. An-Jen Chiang
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  8. Tsung-Hsien Chang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to An-Jen Chiang.

Ethics declarations

Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the KSVGH Institutional Review Board.

Funding

Hui-Chun Hsu received research funding (VGHKS103-086 and VGHNSU103-006) from Department of Nursing, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Hsu, HC., Tsai, SY., Wu, SL. et al. Longitudinal perceptions of the side effects of chemotherapy in patients with gynecological cancer. Support Care Cancer 25, 3457–3464 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-017-3768-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-017-3768-7

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