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. 2024 Feb;40(1):151577.
doi: 10.1016/j.soncn.2023.151577. Epub 2024 Jan 19.

Increased Stress Is Associated With Severe Pain and Decrements in Cognitive Function in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

Jacqueline Chen  1 , Sueann Mark  1 , Lynda Mackin  1 , Steven M Paul  1 , Bruce A Cooper  1 , Marilyn J Hammer  2 , Yvette P Conley  3 , Jon D Levine  4 , Christine Miaskowski  5
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Free article

Increased Stress Is Associated With Severe Pain and Decrements in Cognitive Function in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

Jacqueline Chen et al. Semin Oncol Nurs. 2024 Feb.
Free article

Abstract

Objectives: Purposes were to identify subgroups of adult oncology patients (n = 1342) with distinct joint profiles of worst pain and cognitive function (CF) and evaluate for differences in demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as the severity of three distinct types of stress, resilience, and coping.

Data sources: Measures of pain and CF were evaluated six times over two cycles of chemotherapy. The other measures of demographic and clinical characteristics, stress, resilience, and coping were completed at enrollment (ie, prior to the second or third cycle of chemotherapy).

Results: Using latent profile analysis, four distinct profiles were identified (ie, no pain + moderate CF [27.6%], moderate pain + high CF [22.4%] moderate pain and moderate CF [32.4%, both moderate], severe pain and low CF [17.5%, both severe]). Both moderate and both severe classes reported higher global, cancer-specific, and cumulative life stress, lower levels of resilience, and greater use of disengagement coping strategies. The Both severe class had higher occurrence rates for a number of adverse childhood experiences (ie, family violence in childhood, physical abuse at <16 years, forced sex at <16 years). Risk factors associated with membership in the two worst profiles included: being female, having a lower annual income, having a higher comorbidity burden, and having a poorer functional status.

Conclusion: Findings suggest that 72.4% of the patients reported pain scores in the moderate to severe range and 77.6% reported low to moderate levels of CF. Clinicians need to assess for both symptoms and various types of stress on a routine basis.

Keywords: Adverse childhood experiences; Cancer; Chemotherapy; Cognition; Cognitive impairment; Coping; Pain; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Resilience; Stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest.

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