Latent profile analysis identified three distinct symptom profiles among Chinese multiple myeloma patients—'Low Symptom Burden with Walking Distress' (46.7%), 'Moderate Physical Symptoms with Daily Life Interference' (37.9%), and 'High Global Symptom Burden' (15.4%)—with age, marital status, combination chemotherapy status, and ECOG performance status significantly associated with profile membership.
Key Findings
Results
Latent profile analysis identified three distinct symptom profiles among Chinese patients with multiple myeloma.
The three profiles were: 'Low Symptom Burden with Walking Distress' (46.7%), 'Moderate Physical Symptoms with Daily Life Interference' (37.9%), and 'High Global Symptom Burden' (15.4%)
The study included 265 Chinese patients with multiple myeloma recruited from hematology departments of three tertiary general hospitals in Zhejiang Province, China
Data collection occurred between January and March 2024 via convenience sampling
The Chinese version of the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory-Multiple Myeloma Module (MDASI-MM) scale was used to assess symptom characteristics
Results
Age was significantly associated with symptom profile membership, with advanced age linked to higher symptom burden profiles.
Multivariable multinomial logistic regression demonstrated that age was significantly associated with symptom profile membership (p < 0.05)
Patients of advanced age were more likely to belong to the higher burden profiles
This finding was identified alongside marital status, combination chemotherapy, and ECOG status in the same regression model
Results
ECOG performance status was significantly associated with symptom profile membership, with higher ECOG scores linked to higher burden profiles.
Higher ECOG performance status scores were significantly associated with membership in higher symptom burden profiles (p < 0.05)
The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status was one of four factors identified in multivariable multinomial logistic regression
ECOG performance status is a measure of functional status and ability to perform daily activities
Results
Combination chemotherapy status was significantly associated with symptom profile membership, with patients receiving combination chemotherapy more likely to belong to the low-burden profile.
Combination chemotherapy status was significantly associated with symptom profile membership (p < 0.05)
Patients receiving combination chemotherapy were more likely to belong to the 'Low Symptom Burden with Walking Distress' profile
This finding was counterintuitive relative to expectations that more intensive treatment would produce greater symptom burden
Results
Marital status was significantly associated with symptom profile membership, with unmarried, divorced, or widowed patients more likely to belong to the low-burden profile.
Marital status was significantly associated with symptom profile membership (p < 0.05)
Patients who were unmarried, divorced, or widowed were more likely to belong to the 'Low Symptom Burden with Walking Distress' profile
This association was identified through multivariable multinomial logistic regression alongside age, combination chemotherapy, and ECOG status
Methods
The study design was cross-sectional, recruiting patients via convenience sampling from three tertiary hospitals in Zhejiang Province, China.
265 Chinese patients with multiple myeloma were included in the final analysis
Patients were recruited from hematology departments of three tertiary general hospitals
Data collection utilized a sociodemographic and clinical characteristics questionnaire alongside the MDASI-MM scale
Recruitment occurred during a single three-month period (January to March 2024)
The authors note that future longitudinal research is needed to evaluate whether profile-based interventions reduce symptom burden and improve quality of life
What This Means
This research suggests that patients with multiple myeloma—a type of blood cancer—do not all experience their symptoms in the same way. By analyzing symptom data from 265 patients in China, the researchers identified three distinct groups: nearly half of patients (46.7%) had relatively low overall symptoms but notable difficulty with walking; about 38% had moderate physical symptoms that interfered with daily life; and about 15% experienced a high burden of symptoms across the board. This approach, called latent profile analysis, helps reveal that a 'one size fits all' approach to symptom management may not be appropriate for this patient population.
The research also identified four factors that were associated with which symptom group a patient fell into: age, marital status, whether they were receiving combination chemotherapy, and their general functional status (measured by the ECOG scale). Older patients and those with poorer functional status were more likely to be in the higher-burden groups. Somewhat surprisingly, patients receiving combination chemotherapy and those who were unmarried, divorced, or widowed were more likely to fall into the lower-burden group, though the reasons for these associations would require further study to understand.
This research suggests that healthcare providers could use information about a patient's age, functional status, treatment regimen, and social situation to identify those most at risk for experiencing severe symptom burden, potentially allowing for more targeted and personalized symptom management. The authors note that because this was a snapshot study conducted at one point in time, future research following patients over time will be needed to determine whether tailoring care based on these symptom profiles actually improves patient outcomes and quality of life.
Wang T, Lin Y, Tang L, Sun J, Chen W, Mao Y, et al.. (2026). Factors Associated With Symptom Profiles Among Chinese Patients With Multiple Myeloma: A Latent Profile Analysis.. Cancer medicine. https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.72312