ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the symptom clusters and influencing factors among breast cancer patients receiving aromatase inhibitor treatment and to provide a theoretical basis for the symptom clusters management.Methods:From April 2020 to January 2021, 253 breast cancer patients were recruited in Peking University Cancer Hospital by convenient sampling method. All the patients were cross-sectional investigated by the demographic and clinical characteristics questionnaire, the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The principal component analysis was used to extract the symptom clusters and the multiple linear regression was used to analyze the risk factors.Results:During the period of breast cancer patients receiving aromatase inhibitor treatment, three symptom clusters were identified: sick symptom cluster, treatment related-psychological symptom cluster, digestive symptoms cluster. The prevalence of the three symptom clusters was 49.4%(125/253), 45.1%(114/253), 22.5%(57/253), respectively. The median severity of the three symptom clusters was 2.80, 2.00, 0.67, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that anxiety and education level were the influencing factors of sick symptom cluster ( β=0.25, -0.25, all P<0.05), anxiety, depression and educational level were the influencing factors of treatment related-psychological symptom cluster ( β = 0.34, 0.20, -0.16, all P<0.05), anxiety, depression and chemotherapy history were the influencing factors of digestive symptom cluster ( β= 0.17, 0.18, -0.13, all P<0.05). Conclusions:Breast cancer patients with aromatase inhibitor treatment are affected by symptom clusters. In order to relieve the symptom clusters, we need pay attention to the mentation, the education level and prerious treatment of the patients.