Characterization of Distressing Symptoms among Breast Cancer Patients under Treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital

Background: Cancer is a major health concern globally with breast cancer being a leading cause of death. Patients with breast cancer may experience various distressing symptoms related to the cancer diagnosis and treatment. Objective: To characterize distressing symptoms among breast cancer patients under treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital. Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that utilized both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The target population was breast cancer patients on treatment and follow-up at the Kenyatta National Hospital’s Cancer Treatment Centre. The sample size comprised of 92 participants selected using simple random sampling method. A questionnaire and a focused group discussion were used in data collection. The study tools were pretested to verify their reliability and validity. Quantitative data was analyzed using various descriptive statistics including percentages and frequencies with findings presented in tables while qualitative data was probed thematically. Data was analysed using SPSS version 23. Appropriate ethical approvals were obtained. Results: The study’s response rate was 100%. Majority of the respondents were married (65.2%), Christians (91.2%), with a monthly household income of below KES 10,000 (55.4%) and had a mean age of 48.49 years. The most common distressing symptoms experienced were fatigue, pain, lack of appetite, drowsiness, nausea, anxiety, vomiting, depression, diarrhoea, and constipation while the least experienced symptom was shortness of breath. Of these, anxiety, lack of appetite, loss of wellbeing, fatigue, nausea, pain and drowsiness were particularly severe. Conclusion: Patients with breast cancer experienced numerous distressing symptoms with fatigue, pain and anxiety being quite common. Key words: breast cancer, distressing symptoms, characterization, patients