To investigate relationships between various symptoms occurring 1–2 and 5–6 days following days after thoracoscopic surgery, to identify core symptoms, and to monitor changes in core symptoms over time following lung cancer thoracoscopic surgery. We evaluated symptoms using the Anderson Symptom Scale (Chinese version) and the Lung Cancer-Specific Symptoms Template in 214 lung cancer patients hospitalized in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of a provincial hospital in Jiangsu Province from March 2023 to September 2023. Data was collected at 1–2 days and 5–6 days postoperatively. Symptom networks were constructed for each time point, and centrality indicators were analyzed to identify core symptoms while controlling for influencing factors. According to the network analysis, fatigue (rs = 26.00、rc = 0.05、rb = 1.02) had the highest strength, closeness, and betweenness in the symptom network 1–2 days after lung cancer surgery. At 5–6 days after surgery, shortness of breath (rs = 27.00) emerged as the symptom with the highest strength, fatigue (rc = 0.04) had the highest closeness, and cough (rb = 1.08) ranked highest in betweenness within the symptom network. Fatigue stands out as the most core symptom in the network 1–2 days after lung cancer surgery. Shortness of breath, fatigue and cough are the most core symptoms in the symptom network 5–6 days after surgery. Therefore, clinical staff can improve the postoperative symptom experience of lung cancer patients by developing symptom management programmes tailored to these core symptoms.

中文翻译：

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肺癌胸腔镜手术后核心症状的网络演化：动态网络分析

调查胸腔镜手术后 1-2 天和 5-6 天出现的各种症状之间的关系，识别核心症状，并监测肺癌胸腔镜手术后核心症状随时间的变化。我们使用安德森症状量表（中文版）和肺癌特异性症状模板对2023年3月至2023年9月在江苏省某省立医院胸外科住院的214名肺癌患者进行症状评估。数据收集于术后1-2天和5-6天。构建每个时间点的症状网络，分析中心性指标，在控制影响因素的同时识别核心症状。网络分析显示，肺癌术后1~2 d症状网络中，疲劳（rs = 26.00、rc = 0.05、rb = 1.02）的强度、紧密度和介数最高。术后5-6天，呼吸短促（rs = 27.00）是症状中强度最高的症状，疲劳（rc = 0.04）是症状中最接近的症状，咳嗽（rb = 1.08）是症状中中介度最高的症状网络。肺癌手术后 1-2 天，疲劳成为网络中最核心的症状。气短、疲劳和咳嗽是术后 5-6 天症状网络中最核心的症状。因此，临床工作人员可以通过制定针对这些核心症状的症状管理方案来改善肺癌患者的术后症状体验。