Identification of latent classes in patients who are receiving biotherapy based on symptom experience and its effect on functional status and quality of life.

Purpose/objectives: to identify subgroups of patients receiving biotherapy with pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and depression and to determine functional status and quality of life differences between subgroups.

Design: a descriptive, prospective, cohort study design.

Setting: internet-based survey.

Mucositis pain induced by radiation therapy: prevalence, severity, and use of self-care behaviors.

Pain from radiation therapy (RT)-induced mucositis is a significant clinical problem for patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). The purpose of this study was to determine the pattern, severity, and time course of RT-induced mucositis pain; self-care behaviors (SCBs) used to manage mucositis pain; and the effectiveness of these behaviors in relieving such pain. Forty-nine patients with HNC were assessed using the MacDibbs Mouth Assessment Tool to determine the severity of RT-induced mucositis pain over their course of RT and at a one-month follow-up visit.