Under-recognition of Symptoms May Be Common in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Radiation
Symptom under-recognition may be more common among younger patients and Black patients
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December 14, 2020 — Among patients with breast cancer treated with radiotherapy, under-recognition of symptoms was common in reports of pain, pruritus, edema and fatigue, with younger patients and Black patients having significantly increased odds of symptom under-recognition, according to data presented at the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 8-11.
"Recognizing side effects is necessary for physicians to provide supportive care to help patients manage their symptoms," said Reshma Jagsi, M.D., D.Phil, the Newman Family Professor and deputy chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology and director of the Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine at the University of Michigan.