ABSTRACT
Patients who undergo autologous peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation experience multiple symptoms that adversely affect quality of life. We assessed symptoms during the acute phase of autologous PBSC transplantation to determine the severity of individual symptoms and to determine overall symptom profiles in 100 patients with multiple myeloma or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Study subjects completed the blood and marrow transplantation module of the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory before hospitalization, during conditioning, on day of transplantation, at nadir (the time of lowest white blood cell count) and on day 30 post-transplantation. Additional symptom, quality-of-life and medical status measures were collected. Symptom means were mild at baseline, intensified during conditioning, peaked at nadir and decreased by day 30. At nadir, the most severe symptoms for the entire patient sample were lack of appetite, fatigue, weakness, feeling sick, disturbed sleep, nausea and diarrhea. Cancer diagnosis was a significant predictor of changes in symptoms over time. The patterns of fatigue, pain, sleep disturbance and lack of appetite were significantly different for patients with multiple myeloma as compared with patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Subject(s)
Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/therapy , Multiple Myeloma/therapy , Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects , Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation/psychology , Quality of Life , Adult , Affect , Aged , Female , Humans , Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/psychology , Male , Middle Aged , Multiple Myeloma/psychology , Severity of Illness Index , Sleep Wake Disorders , Transplantation Conditioning/adverse effects , Transplantation, AutologousABSTRACT
A study of the cost-effectiveness of community-based, long-term care was conducted with voluntary enrollees eligible for Medicaid reimbursed nursing home care. One year after enrollment, average longevity was greater for the 575 clients in the experiment group, but average Medicaid plus Medicare costs for this group were higher than for the 172 clients in the control group. Among those more at risk of entering a nursing home, costs for persons in the experimental group were somewhat lower than for those in the control group. The results suggest that community-based services targeted to those most at risk of institutionalization may be cost-effective.
