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Under-recognition of Symptoms May Be Common in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Radiation
Symptom under-recognition may be more common among younger patients and Black patients
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December 14, 2020 Among patients with breast cancer treated with radiotherapy, under-recognition of symptoms was common in reports of pain, pruritus, edema and fatigue, with younger patients and Black patients having significantly increased odds of symptom under-recognition, according to data presented at the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 8-11. Recognizing side effects is necessary for physicians to provide supportive care to help patients manage their symptoms, said Reshma Jagsi, M.D., D.Phil, the Newman Family Professor and deputy chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology and director of the Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine at the University of Michigan.
December 10, 2020 Physicians often missed key side effects of radiation therapy in patients with breast cancer who participated in a new study being presented at the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Common side effects missed by physicians included pain, itchy skin, swelling, and fatigue. Dr. Reshma Jagsi, PhD. Image courtesy of University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center.
The findings come from researching the experiences of nearly 10,000 patients who visited dozens of practices in Michigan. The patients had all received radiation therapy following lumpectomy and noted their side effects on standard symptom reporting tools, according to presenter Dr. Reshma Jagsi, PhD, deputy chair of radiation oncology at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor.
Among patients with breast cancer treated with radiotherapy, under-recognition of symptoms was common in reports of pain, pruritus, edema, and fatigue, with younger patients and Black patients having significantly increased odds of symptom under-recognition, according to data presented at the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 8-11.