Abstract: Objective: To construct a symptom assessment platform and to use this intelligent platform to explore the trajectory of the prevalent core symptoms of esophageal cancer patients in the postoperative period, as well as the interactions between symptoms, in order to provide evidence for coordinated and precise management of symptoms. Methods: A symptom assessment platform based on the Ecological Momentary Assessment approach was developed, the five symptoms (pain, sleep disturbance, fatigue, anxiety, and abdominal distension) of 171 patients with esophageal cancer were monitored during one week after the operation. Results: The overall level of the five symptoms of esophageal cancer after the operation was at a medium to low level but displayed diverse dynamic trends at different time points. There were multiple interactions among the symptoms, among which the combined effect of pain and anxiety was particularly significant for fatigue (B=-0.284, P<0.05). Increasing pain increased fatigue over time (B=0.474, P<0.05). The negative effect of anxiety on fatigue decreased over time (B=-0.129, P<0.05). Conclusion: The trajectory characteristics of core symptoms in postoperative esophageal cancer patients exhibit dynamic evolution and diversity, with varying degrees of interaction observed at different time points. Meanwhile, a symptom assessment platform developed based on the ecological momentary assessment approach enables real-time and precise monitoring of patients’ symptoms, providing an important theoretical foundation and technical support for achieving precise intervention and collaborative management of symptoms in the future.

Key words: Ecological Momentary Assessment; symptom; esophageal cancer; trajectory; interaction