Symptom severity and symptom management in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the non-pharmacological and pharmacological methods used by patients to reduce or prevent symptoms by revealing the symptoms experienced by patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The study was carried out with 92 chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients who came to the hematology outpatient clinic of a research hospital for routine control examination between June 2019 and November 2019.The data obtained by using ''Patient Diagnosis Form'' which includes information about the sociodemographic characteristics and the treatment process of the patients, assessing the functional capacity of the patient's Karnofsky Performance Status Scale (KPS), assessing the symptoms and symptoms severity of the patient's experience using with Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSTS), measures taken by patients against symptoms was recorded by creating "Coping with Symptoms Practices Form". In the study, the average age of the patients was 64.71 ± 11.42 years and 65.2% of them were male. The patients' KPS scores range from 70 to 100 points, the average score is 86.30±8.98. The cases examined within the scope of the study MSTS total score is 0.34 ± 0.19, the general status index score of the scale has been calculated as 1.05 ± 0.83, the physical state index score of the scale is 0.71 ± 0.65, the psychological state index score of the scale is 1.05 ± 0.91.While feeling sad (55.4%) was the most common symptom in the sub-dimension of MSTS psychological symptoms, whereas weakness (72.8%) was determined as the most common symptom in MSTS physical symptoms sub-dimension, In the disease process, the social support resources of the patients are mostly partner (75%) and their children (64.8%),and the MSTS scores did not change according to the social support resources (p> 0.05).The MSTS score of the patients with adequate social support perception (34.8%) was lower than those with insufficient social support (p<0.05). Patients we examined in the scope of the study, the symptoms that patients experienced taken by them measures for reduce or eliminate symptoms contain especially various relaxation practices and spiritual practices also played an important rol