QUALITY OF LIFE OF CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING TREATMENT AT TERTIARY CARE HOSPITALS OF PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN

Zmareye Sajid; Amna Khan; Aiman Zahir; Bashir Ahmad; Aqsa Ejaz; Waqar Ali

doi:10.46903/gjms/23.1.Special.1723

QUALITY OF LIFE OF CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING TREATMENT AT TERTIARY CARE HOSPITALS OF PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN

Zmareye Sajid, Amna Khan, Aiman Zahir, Bashir Ahmad, Aqsa Ejaz, Waqar Ali

Abstract

Background: Deteriorating quality of life is a major concern in cancer patients undergoing treatment. These changes can be a result of the disease itself or a side effect of the treatment they’re receiving. Objective of this study was to determine the quality of life of cancer patients in the following domains: Physical well-being, social wellbeing, emotional wellbeing and functional wellbeing

Materials & Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at 3 major cancer hospitals in Peshawar. A sample size of 260 cancer patients was selected using the convenience sampling technique. After approval from the ethical review committee, data was collected using a structured and validated FACT-G questionnaire.

Results: The total FACT-G score was 64.6 (±16.0) on average, falling in the unsatisfactory quality of life range. Mean scores were recorded as: physical wellbeing 13.6 ± 6.6 (minimum 0, maximum 28), social/family wellbeing 21.5 ±5.3 (Range 0-28), emotional wellbeing 13.2 ± 3.7 (Range 0-24) and functional wellbeing 16.2 ±6.8 (Range 0-28). The most negatively affected domain in our population was physical well-being followed by emotional well-being, while the best quality of life was observed in the domain of social and family wellbeing.

Conclusion: This study concludes that the quality of life was not satisfactory in general among cancer patients. Life quality was specifically worse in the physical and emotional domains. On the other hand, the best quality of life was observed in the domain of social and family well-being.

Keywords

Cancer; Emotional distress; Quality of Life; Symptom.

Full Text:

PDF

References

Wintner LM, Giesinger JM, Zabernigg A, Sztankay M, Meraner V, Pall G, et al. Quality of life during chemotherapy in lung cancer patients: results across different treatment lines. Br J Cancer. 2013 Oct 29;109(9):2301-8. https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.2013.585

Ai ZP, Gao XL, Li J, Zhou JR, Wu YF. Changing trends and influencing factors of the quality of life of chemotherapy patients with breast cancer. Chin Nurs Res. 2017 Apr 15;4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cnre.2017.03.006

Zhang X, Sun D, Qin N, Liu M, Jiang N, Li X. Factors correlated with fear of cancer recurrence in cancer survivors: a meta-analysis. Cancer Nurs. 2022 Oct 1;45(5):406-15. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCC.0000000000001020

Habimana S, Biracyaza E, Mpunga T, Nsabimana E, Kayitesi F, Nzamwita P, et al. Prevalence and associated factors of depression and anxiety among patients with cancer seeking treatment at the Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence in Rwanda. Front Public Health. 2023 Feb 16;11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.972360

Iconomou G, Mega V, Koutras A, Iconomou AV, Kalofonos HP. Prospective assessment of emotional distress, cognitive function, and quality of life in patients with cancer treated with chemotherapy. Cancer. 2004 Jul 15;101(2):404-11. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.20385

Morrison EJ, Novotny PJ, Sloan JA, Yang P, Patten CA, Ruddy KJ, et al. Emotional problems, quality of life, and symptom burden in patients with lung cancer. Clin Lung Cancer. 2017;18(5):497-503. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cllc.2017.02.008

Azam M, Aslam M, Basharat J, Mughal MA, Nadeem MS, Anwar F. An empirical study on quality of life and related factors of Pakistani breast cancer survivors. Sci Rep. 2021 Dec 22;11(1):24391. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-03696-9

Hernández Blázquez M, Cruzado JA. A longitudinal study on anxiety, depressive and adjustment disorder, suicide ideation and symptoms of emotional distress in patients with cancer undergoing radiotherapy. J Psychosom Res. 2016;87:14-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.05.010

Larsen PA, Amidi A, Ghith N, Winther JF, Pedersen C. Quality of life of adolescent and adult survivors of childhood cancer in Europe—a systematic review. Int J Cancer. 2023;153(7):1356-75. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.34634

Sekse RJT, Dunberger G, Olesen ML, Østerbye M, Seibaek L. Lived experiences and quality of life after gynaecological cancer—an integrative review. J Clin Nurs. 2019;28(9-10):1393-421. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.14721

Gayatri D, Efremov L, Kantelhardt EJ, Mikolajczyk R. Quality of life of cancer patients at palliative care units in developing countries: systematic review of the published literature. Qual Life Res. 2021;30(2):315-43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-020-02633-z

Ayub F, Khan TM, Baig MR, Amin MU, Tahir H. Quality of life and well-being among breast cancer patients in Lahore, Pakistan. Front Oncol. 2023 Jun 29;13:1105411. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2023.1105411

Chagani P, Parpio Y, Gul R, Jabbar AA. Quality of life and its determinants in adult cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment in Pakistan. Asia-Pac J Oncol Nurs. 2017;4(2):140-6. https://doi.org/10.4103/2347-5625.204499

Malik M, Rizwan I, Hussain A. Health-related quality of life among blood cancer patients in Pakistan: a cross-sectional survey. Inq J Med Care Organ Provis Financ. 2021;58:469580211025211. https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580211025211

Badar F, Sohaib M, Mahmood S, Chughtai OR, Sultan F, Yusuf MA. Cancer incidence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, 2020. BMC Public Health. 2023 Sep 14;23(1):1785. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16686-5

Licu M, Ionescu CG, Paun S. Quality of life in cancer patients: the modern psycho-oncologic approach for Romania—a review. Curr Oncol Tor Ont. 2023 Jul 20;30(7):6964-75. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol30070504

AlJaffar MA, Enani SS, Almadani AH, Albuqami FH, Alsaleh KA, Alosaimi FD. Determinants of quality of life of cancer patients at a tertiary care medical city in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Front Psychiatry. 2023;14:1098176. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1098176

Chee Chean D, Kuo Zang W, Lim M, Zulkefle N. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in Hospital Melaka: single centre experience. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2016 Dec 1;17(12):5121-6.

Heydarnejad M, Hassanpour DA, Solati DK. Factors affecting quality of life in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Afr Health Sci. 2011 Jun;11(2):266-70. PMID: 21857860

Yost KJ, Thompson CA, Eton DT, Allmer C, Ehlers SL, Habermann TM, et al. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General (FACT-G) is valid for monitoring the quality of life in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Leuk Lymphoma. 2013;54(2):290-7. https://doi.org/10.3109/10428194.2012.711830

Nayak MG, George A, Vidyasagar MS, Mathew S, Nayak S, Nayak BS, et al. Quality of life among cancer patients. Indian J Palliat Care. 2017;23(4):445-50. https://doi.org/10.4103/IJPC.IJPC_82_17

Arndt V, Merx H, Stegmaier C, Ziegler H, Brenner H. Quality of life in patients with colorectal cancer 1 year after diagnosis compared with the general population: a population-based study. J Clin Oncol. 2004 Dec 1;22(23):4829-36. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2004.02.018

Guan T, Santacroce SJ, Chen DG, Song L. Illness uncertainty, coping, and quality of life among patients with prostate cancer. Psychooncology. 2020;29(6):1019-25. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5372

Gupta K. Patient’s perspective of QOL with respect to different domains of quality of life in cancer patients during inpatient chemotherapy treatment or outpatient radiotherapy treatment in a tertiary care hospital of New Delhi, India. Texila Int J Clin Res. 2016 Dec 30;3(2):230-43. https://doi.org/10.21522/TIJCR.2014.03.02.Art021

Hinz A, Weis J, Faller H, Brähler E, Härter M, Keller M, et al. Quality of life in cancer patients—a comparison of inpatient, outpatient, and rehabilitation settings. Support Care Cancer. 2018;26(10):3533-41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4211-4

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46903/gjms/23.1.Special.1723