فرزانه اكبري

Women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer experience a range of symptoms simultaneously. Identifying symptoms that occur together and remain consistent over time is crucial for effective symptom management and treatment. Given that symptom clusters can vary over time and throughout the course of the disease, it is important to establish clear criteria for determining the stability and consistency of these clusters. Therefore, this study aimed to eva‎luate symptom clusters in Iranian breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy at three different time points to assess their stability and consistency. To address this research question, data on 29 symptoms of these patients were collected during three separate visits. The first visit took place at the beginning of the diagnosis and initiation of chemotherapy, the second visit occurred two and a half months after the diagnosis and during chemotherapy, and the third visit was conducted five months later, at the end of chemotherapy. The data was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, hierarchical clustering, and K-means clustering. The findings indicate that psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety, as well as physical symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, dry mouth, sexual problems, and numbness, are among the most common and stable symptoms experienced by breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Palliative care centers that prioritize these symptoms and provide comprehensive mental and physical care can significantly enhance the quality of life and treatment outcomes for these individuals.

(سرطان سينه، , علائم , خوشه‌بندي , تحليل عاملي اكتشافي , خوشه‌بندي سلسله‌مراتبي , كا-ميانگين

Breast Cancer , Symptoms , Clustering , Exploratory factor analysis , Hierarchical cluster analysis , K-Means

Farzane Akbari

Mohamad Fathian