Our research focuses on the symptom management for cancer patients, as well as patients with non-cancer life-threatening illness. We aim to advance the knowledge of symptom science through high-quality and patient-centred research.

Symptom management is an important area in supportive and palliative care. Better control of symptoms could improve quality of life and prevent other associated problems, such as frequent hospital admissions and increased mortality risk. Symptoms often occur concurrently and cause great distress to patients. By understanding the patterns of these co-occurring symptoms, we may find the underlying mechanisms and identify effective symptom management strategies.

Our team applied the concept ‘symptom cluster’ to explore the relationships among symptoms. The identified clusters inspire interventions that target on the co-occurring symptoms. For example, we developed a dance programme to relieve a symptom cluster among breast cancer patients. We also conducted research to unveil the unique experiences of patients. In our studies, we found that patients with end-stage kidney disease encountered challenges associated with their symptoms in terms of seeking medical assistance and having normal life. Therefore, our research activities increase awareness of symptom management, and advocate for patient-centred care that proactively recognises and addresses patients’ needs.