A Decision Tree Analysis on Symptom Experience of Asian American Breast Cancer Survivors.
Eun-Ok Im, Jee-Seon Yi, Wonshik Chee
PMID 37882470WHAT IT FOUND
37 of 135 Asian American breast cancer survivors had high global, physical and psychological symptoms.
High symptoms were linked to high psychological needs, or low needs with high barriers and isolation. They were also younger, had later stage cancer, less support and more isolation.
Key findings
01Of 135 women at pre-test, 98 had low symptom experience and 37 had high symptom experience.
02The high symptom profile was linked to younger age, later breast cancer stage, lower coping self-efficacy, more perceived barriers, less social support, more perceived isolation, and higher supportive care needs.
03Decision tree analysis linked high symptoms to high psychological needs for help, or to low psychological needs with high perceived barriers and high social isolation.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study analysed baseline data only, so it cannot show that any intervention changed symptoms or that these characteristics caused high symptom experience. Participants had to have internet access and speak one of the study languages, so survivors without these may be missing. The sample was limited to Chinese, Korean and Japanese women, so findings may not apply to other Asian American subgroups. All data were self-reported, and the authors note possible response bias. The authors note that the sample size and variables were not controlled because this was part of a larger parent study, and the findings need confirmation.
Declared interests
No author conflict of interest or funding declaration is included in the article text. The publication types list NIH extramural research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this identifies a treatment effect. It describes baseline symptom profiles and associations in a sample from a parent trial, not outcomes after an intervention.