Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the symptoms experienced by hematological cancer patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 158 patients receiving treatment at the hematology clinic of a university hospital. Data were collected using a personal information form and the “Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS)”. Results: The mean age of the patients included in the study was 45.37±13.24 years and 51.9% were female. It was determined that the patients experienced fatigue (76.6%), anorexia (66.5%), pain (48.7%) and sadness (48.7%) as the most common symptoms, respectively. In particular, the first week mean scores of many symptoms (pain, fatigue, nausea, insomnia, loss of appetite, feeling of well-being, shortness of breath, changes in skin and nails, stomatite or sore mouth) were found to be significantly higher than those before treatment and/or in the second week (p 0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, fatigue, anorexia, pain and sadness were the most common symptoms in patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy, and the severity of many symptoms increased especially in the first week. Based on these findings, it is recommended that nurses closely assess symptoms in the early phase of treatment, implement proactive symptom management strategies, and develop individualized care plans.
Çakmak et al. (Sat,) studied this question.