• Virginia Sun, Betty Ferrell, Gloria Juarez, Lawrence D Wagman, Yun Yen, and Vincent Chung.
• Department of Nursing Research and Education, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA. vsun@coh.org
• Oncol Nurs Forum. 2008 May 1; 35 (3): E45-52.

Purpose/ObjectivesTo describe the symptom concerns of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and pancreatic cancer and explore the effect of symptoms on patients' quality of life (QOL).DesignDescriptive, longitudinal study.SettingAmbulatory clinics of a comprehensive cancer center.Sample45 patients actively receiving treatment for either HCC or pancreatic cancer.MethodsPatients were followed from baseline for three months, with outcome measures repeated monthly. Outcome measures included the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Hepatobiliary (FACT-Hep) and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spirituality Subscale (FACIT-Sp-12). Descriptive analysis of demographic, treatment, and symptom data was conducted, followed by two-way repeated measures analysis of variance of FACT-Hep and FACIT-Sp-12 scale scores by diagnosis and treatment type.Main Research VariablesSymptoms, QOL.FindingsOverall QOL is poor in patients with hepatobiliary cancer, and this trend continues over time. Symptoms such as abdominal pain, fatigue, weight loss, and poor appetite commonly are reported in this population.ConclusionsPatients with hepatobiliary cancer suffer from multiple symptoms that may have a negative affect on overall QOL. Specific QOL domains, such as physical and functional well-being, are of particular concern for patients.Implications For NursingThe identification of specific symptom and QOL concerns in hepatobiliary cancers will enhance clinical care and aid in the future development of multidisciplinary interventions for this understudied cancer population.

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