Symptom burden and life challenges reported by adult chordoma patients and their caregivers.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

This study aims to characterize the symptom burden and life challenges that chordoma patients and their caregivers experience.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from the Chordoma Foundation online community survey conducted in 2014. Frequency counts and percentages were calculated to determine the prevalence of self-reported symptoms and life challenges in the sample. We used Fisher's exact test to compare self-reported symptoms among subgroups with different disease status, tumor locations, and treatments received.

Results

Among the survey participants, 358 identified themselves as chordoma patients and 208 as caregivers. The majority of the patients were over 45 years (72%), male (56%), educated beyond high school degree (87%), and from

SUBMITTER: Song PH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5509836 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature