Aspects of quality of life in pediatric lymphoma patients

Abstract

Background. Quality of life (QL) is no less important question in modern oncohematology than longstanding survival rate and convalescence. Pediatric patients with lymphomas have high chances for recovery, that’s why it is important to provide a good QL during and after end of anti-cancer treatment. In Russia aspects of QL are not give up in pediatric oncohematology and used questionnaires are translated and poor adopted for our country.The study objective is to evaluate parameters of QL in pediatric patients with lymphomas and their parents during anti-cancer treatment and to assign abilities for improvement of QL.Materials and methods. From January 2018 to January 2020 fifty primary pediatric patients with lymphomas and fifty their parents were enrolled the study. All the patients were treated in the Chemotherapy Hemoblastoses Department No. 1 of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Research Institute of N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology of the Ministry of Health of Russia. The analysis of QL parameters was performed by Scale “Life satisfaction” of E. Diener, psycho-emotional tension was assessed by questionnaire “Your filling healthy” (for parents), mental activity, motivation, emotional tonus, psychic tension and comfort were analyzed by L.A. Kurgansky and T.A. Nemchin method.Results. 50 % parents and 60 % of children with lymphomas had medium level of life satisfaction. High life satisfaction level was unusual for respondents of pediatric age (0 %) and parents (8 %). During anti-cancer treatment children had low mental activity (60 %), motivation (44 %) and emotional tonus (60 %). It should be noted that psychic tension level in 60 % of children also was low.Conclusion. Anti-cancer treatment, stay in hospital, changed habitual condition favour to decrease QL of patients and their parents, which resulting in low mental activity, embrace of the world around, emotional tonus, not enough life satisfaction. For QL improvement it is necessary to work with psychologists, teachers, social workers, performing of art therapy. A large amount of work should be done with persons closest to child and parents, with whom they will communicate after end of treatment.