Early Satiety in Cancer ‒ the Symptom Experience: Exploratory Cross-Sectional Cohort Study

Background Early satiety (ES) is a common symptom in several conditions, including cancer. Despite presenting at all cancer stages, little is known about how patients describe ES. This study aimed to explore the lived experience of those with ES. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in an Advanced Cancer Group (ACG) and an Active Treatment Group (ATG). All participants completed the Abridged Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (AbPG-SGA). Those who reported ES completed the novel ‘Symptom Experience of Early Satiety’ questionnaire (SEESQ). Results Twenty-nine patients reported ES in the abPG-SGA and thus completed the SEESQ (ATG n = 16, ACG n = 13). ES was moderately severe, with increased severity and frequency in later stages of cancer. ES often occurred with fatigue (n = 10), dry mouth (n = 8), and nausea (n = 7). Most (n = 20) tried to self-manage their ES, although a third were unsuccessful. Most (n = 17) did not report their ES to any healthcare staff, and none were ever asked by their healthcare professional about ES. Themes of ‘distress’, ‘bloating’, ‘loss of enjoyment’, and ‘inability to eat’ were highlighted in descriptions of ES. Conclusions The ES experience was heterogeneous, with some apparent similarities by cancer stage in a small cohort. Frequency and severity appeared to increase with advanced disease. Patients were never screened for ES by clinicians, and rarely self-reported it. The themes identified suggest a both quality of life and social impacts of ES. Larger, adequately powered studies are needed to confirm these observations and to inform treatment and a consensus definition.