Introduction
More and more cancer patients received immunotherapy to prolong their survival. However, few studies reported the relationships between adverse events (AEs) and
psychological distress.
Objectives
This study aims to examine the incidence and severity of AEs and their association with anxiety, depression and uncertainty.
Methods and Materials
A cross-sectional study design was conducted to recruit the eligible patients from oncology wards in a teaching medical center in Northern Taiwan. The patients’ AEs were assessed by the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria and Adverse Events (CTCAE v 5.0) and their anxiety, depression and uncertainty were assessed by the 11-point Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). Spearman’s tests were conducted to examine the relationships among AEs, anxiety, depression and uncertainty.
Results
A total of 120 cancer patients who were undergoing immunotherapy were recruited in this study. The major results showed that (i) The top three incidence rates of itching, acneiform eruption and dry skin were 37.5%, 35.8%, 35.8%, respectively. Further, AEs of grades 3-4 severity in patients included itching (2.5%), acneiform eruption (4.2%), oral mucositis (4.2%), diarrhea (1.7%), autoimmune disorder (1.7%), pneumonitis (0.8%), generalized muscle weakness (0.8%) and poor liver function (0.8%). (ii) Patients’ dry skin was significantly associated with anxiety, depression and uncertainty.
Conclusion/Implications for practice
The study confirmed the top dry skin associated with anxiety, depression, and uncertainty were identified in this study should be addressed for alleviating patients’ dry skin.