Discordance between physicians' estimations and breast cancer patients' self-assessment of side-effects of chemotherapy: an issue for quality of care

Because side-effects of chemotherapy may be more diverse and patients' reactions more individualistic than tends to be acknowledged by clinicians, a survey was carried out among 50 breast cancer outpatients to document self-reported physical symptoms experienced during NCF (mitoxantrone + cyclophosphamide + 5-fluorouracil) adjuvant chemotherapy and to compare them with the clinicians' estimation in medical records. The questionnaire evaluated the prevalence, duration/ severity and distress level of 17 symptoms. Symptom prevalence, assessed in 231 cycles, was high even for symptoms that do not usually focus clinicians' attention. Of these, hot flushes, stomach pain and muscular and articular pains lasted 1 week or more for nearly half of the cycles. Hot flushes, vomiting and stomach pain were the most distressing symptoms. The mean number of symptoms per cycle is significantly correlated with the global quality-of-life score. Concordance between patients' self-assessment and clinical reports, measured in 180 cycles, is moderately correct for vomiting and sore mouth and inadequate for the remaining symptoms even for hair loss (notified in 27% of cycles by clinicians vs 80% by patients) and nausea (38% vs 73%). A better understanding by physicians of cancer patients' problems is necessary to improve quality of care.