Which symptoms and problems do advanced cancer patients admitted to specialized palliative care report in addition to those included in the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL? A register-based national study

PURPOSE: Patients in palliative care are willing to answer short questionnaires, like the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL; however, patients may suffer from other symptoms and problems (S/Ps) not covered by such questionnaires. Therefore, to identify which other S/Ps patients experience, in addition to those already included in the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL, we developed a brief instrument to supplement this questionnaire named WISP (Write In three Symptoms/Problems), permitting patients to report 1-3 additional S/Ps and their severity. We aim to investigate the nature, prevalence, and severity of S/Ps reported on WISP.

METHODS: A register-based study with data obtained from the Danish Palliative Care Database. This study included adults with advanced cancer admitted to specialized palliative care in Denmark, who reported S/Ps on WISP. S/Ps were categorized qualitatively, and their prevalence and severity were calculated.

RESULTS: Of the 5447 patients who completed the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL, 1788 (32.8%) reported at least one symptom/problem using WISP. In total, 2796 S/Ps were reported; 24.8% were already covered by EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL; 63.6% were new, 10.1% were diagnoses and 1.6% could not be coded. S/Ps already covered and new were grouped into 61 categories. The most prevalent S/Ps reported were (in decreasing order) pain, edema, dizziness, impaired physical or emotional function, cough, and sweats. Overall, 85% of the S/Ps were rated as moderate to severe.

CONCLUSIONS: The WISP instrument strongly improves the recognition of S/Ps by combining standardization with individualization. We recommend its use for comprehensive symptom assessment alongside the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL, and potentially also alongside the EORTC QLQ-C30.