PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To describe, from an interdisciplinary perspective, how cancer-related symptoms are assessed and managed in a cancer care setting and to describe the components that influence symptom management. DESIGN Descriptive, qualitative, and cross-sectional. SETTING An oncology and hematology department in a university hospital in western Sweden. SAMPLE 31 nurses, physicians, ph...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To provide a definition, describe uses, and identify essential attributes of symptom management by emphasizing the philosophical base for the concept. DATA SOURCES 51 references (i.e., books and articles) published from 1980-2003 and located through the Ovid database. DATA SYNTHESIS Symptoms are subjective and personal phenomena, incorporating the dimensions of symptom oc...

OBJECTIVES To describe the process of symptom management in the care of oncology patients with advanced cancer. DATA SOURCES Journal articles, evidence-based reviews, textbooks, and clinical guidelines. CONCLUSION Symptom management is an essential component of oncology nursing practice that improves quality of life for patients and families throughout the cancer trajectory. IMPLICATIONS ...