Observational Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Jun 16, 2021; 9(17): 4188-4198
Published online Jun 16, 2021. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i17.4188
Self-perceived burden and influencing factors in patients with cervical cancer administered with radiotherapy
Ting Luo, Rong-Zhi Xie, Yan-Xia Huang, Xiao-Hua Gong, Hui-Ying Qin, Yi-Xiao Wu
Ting Luo, Rong-Zhi Xie, Xiao-Hua Gong, Cancer Center, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519000, Guangdong Province, China
Yan-Xia Huang, Cardiovascular Disease Center, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519000, Guangdong Province, China
Hui-Ying Qin, Nursing Department, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, Guangdong Province, China
Yi-Xiao Wu, Power Operation Department, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519000, Guangdong Province, China
Author contributions: Xie RZ and Gong XH contributed to the conception and design of this study; Luo T, Huang YX, and Wu YX performed the statistical analysis and drafted the manuscript; Qin HY critically reviewed the manuscript and supervised the whole study process; all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Sun Yat-Sen University.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to report.
Data sharing statement: The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-checklist of items.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Hui-Ying Qin, MS, Doctor, Nursing Department, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, No. 651 Dongfeng East Road, Guangzhou 510060, Guangdong Province, China. qinhy@sysucc.org.cn
Received: January 25, 2021
Peer-review started: January 25, 2021
First decision: February 25, 2021
Revised: March 10, 2021
Accepted: April 8, 2021
Article in press: April 8, 2021
Published online: June 16, 2021
Processing time: 120 Days and 11.4 Hours
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
Research background

Cervical cancer is the fourth commonest malignancy in women around the world. Individuals with cervical cancer tend to be younger than previously reported. The psychological pressure of long-term treatment, care, and financial and emotional problems generally results in the negative experience of self-perceived burden (SPB), Studies by domestic and foreign scholars have shown that SPB is closely related to the quality of life, including a good death, dignity, etc.

Research motivation

Studies conducted in many countries revealed salient SPB among cancer patients. However, studies assessing SPB in cervical cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy are scarce.

Research objectives

This study aimed to assess SPB and related influencing factors in cervical cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.

Research methods

One-hundred and ten patients with cervical cancer undergoing radiotherapy were selected for questionnaire survey. Research data of these patients were summarized and analyzed.

Research results

Total SPB score was 43.13 ± 16.65. SPB was associated with the place of residence, monthly family income, payment method, transfer status, the presence of radiotherapy complications, and the presence of pain (P < 0.05). The SPB and self-care self-efficacy were negatively correlated (P < 0.01). In multivariate analysis, self-care self-efficacy, place of residence, monthly family income, payment method, and degree of radiation dermatitis and radiation proctitis were influencing factors of SPB (P < 0.05).

Research conclusions

Patients with cervical cancer undergoing radiotherapy often have SPB. Self-care self-efficacy scale score, place of residence, monthly family income, payment method, and radiation dermatitis and proctitis are factors independently influencing SPB.

Research perspectives

In clinics, the medical staff should pay attention to improving the patients' self-care self-efficacy, focus on rural and low-income patients, and provide effective symptom management to cervical cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy, which could reduce SPB and improve prognosis and the quality of life.