Predictors of symptom distress in women with breast cancer during the first chemotherapy cycle

Purpose: To determine the extent to which personal characteristics and “person factors” predict symptom distress during the first cycle of chemotherapy. Design: Prospective, longitudinal, correlational. Sample and setting: 120 women with Stage I and II breast cancer starting their first cycle of chemotherapy were recruited from six diverse oncology settings. Methods: Self-report questionnaires were completed prior to the beginning, the nadir, and the end of the first chemotherapy cycle. Main research variables: Personal characteristics, “person factors”, and symptom distress. Findings: Optimism and external locus of control predicted low symptom distress levels at the both the nadir and at the end of the first cycle. Fatigue, appearance, and insomnia caused the greatest distress with higher symptom distress scores reported at the nadir with a mean item score of 1.98 on a five-point Likert scale. Conclusions: Women who maintained a positive outlook, and trusted their health care providers experienced lower levels of symptom distress. Findings suggest that most women experienced some symptom distress, particularly during the middle of the first cycle of chemotherapy