Prevalence of neurological symptoms in palliative care cancer patients: A retrospective study

Background: This study aims to investigate the prevalence of neurological symptoms in cancer patients followed up in a palliative care centre and the relation of these symptoms to the diagnosis, length of stay, discharge status and presence of metastasis. Methods: The records of inpatients with cancer diagnosed in a palliative care centre in Ankara, Turkey were retrospectively reviewed. The neurological symptoms observed in patients were classified as pain, insomnia, seizures, paresis, delirium and depression. Age, gender, length of stay, presence of metastasis, discharge status and diagnosis of patients who were included in the study were compared to the symptoms. Results: The mean age of 192 patients was 68.41 +/- 14.15 years and length of stay in the Centre was 18.12 +/- 17.64 days. The most common neurological symptoms were pain, insomnia, delirium, seizures, depression and paresis (27.1%, 17.2%, 15.1%, 13.5%, 11.5%) respectively. Pain was most commonly observed in genitourinary and gynecologic cancers (72.4%), and gastrointestinal cancers (69.3%). Pain was significantly higher in patients with metastasis (p < 0.005) and patients who have passed away (p < 0.032). Paresis and seizures were significantly higher in patients with head and neck cancers (p < 0.001 and 0.001, respectively). The number of days under palliative care was significantly higher in patients who were diagnosed with head and neck cancers (p < 0.007) and patients who experienced seizures (p < 0.004). Conclusion: Except for pain, the other neurological symptoms were not as prevalent as the non-neurological symptoms such as breathlessness, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, anorexia and constipation as reported in the literature.