Problem identification: Patients with cancer experience multiple symptoms, but current practice is driven by guidelines that address single symptoms. Identifying symptom management strategies recommended across two or more symptoms could relieve multiple symptoms and reduce patient burden.
Literature search: The Oncology Nursing Society, National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and American Society of Clinical Oncology websites were searched to identify management guidelines for 15 symptoms.
Data evaluation: The authors extracted symptom management strategies and recommendations. Recommendations were synthesized by symptom across the guidelines, and recommended strategies were compared across symptoms.
Synthesis: Among 32 guidelines reviewed, a total of 88 symptom management strategies (41 pharmacologic, 47 nonpharmacologic) were recommended across two or more symptoms.
Implications for practice: Findings support the potential for coordinated selection of symptom management strategies that cross over multiple symptoms in a patient. Investigators should test these symptom management strategies in the context of co-occurring symptoms and develop guidelines that address multiple symptoms.
Keywords: cancer; neoplasms; palliative care; practice guidelines; symptom cluster; symptoms.