Symptom clusters of patients with advanced thyroid cancer: a cross-sectional study

To investigate and analyze the symptom clusters of patients with advanced thyroid cancer and provide a basis for developing targeted symptom management measures.

Patients who visited a multidisciplinary outpatient service for advanced thyroid cancer at a tertiary A hospital in Sichuan Province from April 2022 to April 2023 were selected using convenience sampling. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory-Thyroid Cancer module (MDASI-THY). Symptom clusters were extracted by exploratory factor analysis.

Disturbed sleep had the highest incidence (75.7%) and severity (3.0 points), while mood distress had the highest incidence (63.5%) and severity (2.0 points) of symptom interference. Three symptom clusters were identified: mood-fatigue-sleep, digestive tract-sensation, and thyroid cancer-specific symptom clusters.

Patients with advanced thyroid cancer have multiple symptom clusters that seriously affect their daily lives. Health care professionals should conduct targeted observation and preventive treatment to reduce the burden of symptoms on patients.