Evaluation of the effectiveness of symptom management model in gynecologic cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy

This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the symptom management program, which was developed according to the symptom management model on the quality of life and the severity/frequency of the symptoms experienced by women with gynecological cancer undergoing chemotherapy. The sample of this randomized controlled study consisted of 41 women who received chemotherapy at Koç University Hospital Outpatient Chemotherapy Unit between November 2018- November 2019. Data were collected using the Patient Identification Form, Edmonton Symptom Diagnostic Scale, European Cancer Research-Treatment Organization-Quality of Life Scale (EORTC-QLQ-C30), Modified Brief Sexual Symptom Checklist-Women and Symptom Self-Management Form. As part of the symptom management program, the intervention group was monitored before and after each course of chemotherapy by providing continuous-systematic symptom evaluation, and education with brochures on management strategies developed using the current evidence for each symptom. There was no intervention in the control group other than the chemotherapy education before treatment and standard care. Data collection and symptom evaluation were performed before each cycle and when all cycles were completed (5 times in total) in the intervention group, and the control group before the first and third cycles of treatment and at the last cycle (3 times). R-ANOVA, Cochran-Q and t tests were used to analyze the data. There was no significant difference between the sociodemographic, gynecological and obstetric characteristics, and factors related to the diagnosis of the women in both groups. Although there is no difference between the EORCT-QLQ and ESDS mean scores and BSSC-W percentages at the beginning of the treatment of women in the intervention and control groups (p>0.05), the mean scores of quality of life scale in the intervention group in the middle and at the end of the treatment are significantly higher than the women in the control group (p<0.001), and ESDS mean scores were found to be significantly lower (p<0.001). While there was no significant change in the satisfaction of sexual functions and problems of the women in the intervention group during the treatment, it was determined that the women in the control group had decreased satisfaction with sexual functions and experienced more problems.