This systematic review aimed to scrutinize the progression of symptom cluster research in adult cancer patients who received primary or adjuvant chemotherapy between 2001 and 2023, providing a comprehensive understanding of clinical practice and future research.

PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Excerpta Medica Database, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched for theme words and free words related to symptom clusters, cancer, and chemotherapy. Eligible studies were published between January 1, 2001, and May 30, 2023; adults who were diagnosed with cancer and received primary or adjuvant chemotherapy were evaluated.

Twenty-eight studies were included in this review. The Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale emerged as the predominant instrument and exploratory factor analysis was the most frequently employed statistical method to identify symptom clusters. Psychological, gastrointestinal, and physical image symptom clusters were the most commonly delineated. Furthermore, the temporal stability of the symptom clusters showed varying dynamics, with psychological symptom clusters displaying relative consistency over time.

Interventions are needed for the most common and stable symptoms in patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Future endeavors may necessitate more longitudinal studies to delve deeper into the temporal stability and dynamic variations of symptom clusters. Such investigations hold promise for advancing symptom cluster research, elucidating the underlying mechanisms, and fostering the development of targeted interventions, thereby enriching the symptom management paradigm in oncological care.