Evaluation of quality of life in patients with advanced-stage cancer undergoing palliative chemotherapy
Keywords:
advanced-stage cancer, quality of life, chemotherapyAbstract
Abstract
Quality of life (QoL) was a significant medical outcome measure and was an important goal for the planning of treatment among cancer patients. In order to evaluate changes in QoL during palliative chemotherapy among Thai patients with an advanced-stage cancer. A single-center prospective study was conducted with advanced-stage cancer patients enrolled in the study who were undergoing palliative chemotherapy in a single university hospital. The data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. The baseline characteristics, performance status, and quality of life using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC QLQ C30) were measured at 3 and 6 months after chemotherapy treatment. The QoL scores were compared across the three-time points using repeated-measures analysis of variance. The QoL scores were reported in terms of mean and standard deviation and a p-value less than 5% was statistically significant. A total of 70 patients were enrolled in this study, with a mean age of 55.07 (SD 14.88) years, with 44 males and 26 females. Solid cancers and hematologic malignancies were found in 49 and 21 patients, respectively. After 6 months of follow-up, 27 participants were evaluated completely. The functioning scales such as emotional, cognitive, and social functions had higher scores after three months of therapy and marked minor further improvements over 6 months. The symptoms of fatigue and financial difficulties also significantly improved after 3 to 6 months of chemotherapy treatment. The overall QoL showed worsening after 3 months of treatment and a slight improvement after 6 months. While the functioning scales of fatigue and financial conditions of the patients improved after chemotherapy, but the overall quality of life worsened after 3 months of treatment.
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