Symptom Prevalence in Older Adults Diagnosed with Cancer Receiving Palliative Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Older adults diagnosed with cancer often experience multiple concurrent symptoms, making effective symptom management crucial. Nurses play a key role in identifying and managing these symptoms in palliative care settings.
Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of common symptoms among older adults (defined as individuals aged ≥65 years) with cancer receiving palliative care.
Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis included studies retrieved from the Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, EBSCO, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases between 2014 and 2024, using the keywords palliative, cancer, symptom, older, elderly, and aged. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklists. Data were pooled and analyzed using meta-analysis techniques.
Results: Eighteen studies (nine cohort and nine cross-sectional) with a total sample size of 48,503 participants were included. The pooled prevalence estimates were as follows: pain, 48.6%; fatigue, 61.0%; dyspnea, 48.6%; lack of appetite, 56.7%; nausea, 27.0%; sleep problems, 52.9%; depression, 32.4%; drowsiness, 56.6%; poor well-being, 42.3%; and anxiety, 22.1%. This study identified the prevalence of major symptoms among older adults with cancer receiving palliative care. Further high-quality studies are needed to explore underlying mechanisms and mediators affecting symptom management.
Conclusion: The results highlight the importance of developing nursing-led symptom assessment and management strategies to improve the quality of palliative care for older adults.

Keywords: Cancer, elderly, meta-analysis, palliative, symptom