Assessment of Adverse Events and Quality of Life of Cancer Patients in a Secondary Level Care, Rural Hospital in South India

Abstract

ObjectiveTo grade adverse events (AEs) occurring after chemotherapy in the cancer patients and to explore the quality-of-life (QOL) findings among posttherapy cancer patients in a rural, secondary level care Indian hospital. MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out during a 6-month period in a rural secondary level care hospital situated at Anantapur district in South India. Patient and cancer demographics were collected from the cases treated in the study site. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30 v 3.0 Telugu (regional language of the study site) module and Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v 4.0 of Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, USA, were used to assess the QOL and severity grades of AEs, respectively. ResultsMost AEs were mild or moderate, with only a few being severe. Insomnia (27.98%), nausea (13.50%), vomiting (12.81%), fatigue (10.90%), and pain (11.68%) were common, with insomnia being the most frequent. The different scores of the QOL scale (functional, symptomatic, financial, and global health status scores) were assessed independently. Among the functional scale parameters, the cognitive and physical functioning scores were good (85.14 and 82.79, respectively) and the social, emotional, and role functioning scores were moderate (77.94, 72.30, and 71.65, respectively). The overall effect of symptoms on QOL showed that the pain score was higher and interfered to a higher extent in patients (36.02) and the dyspnea score was the least and occurred to a lesser extent (7.20). But certain variables such as anorexia, for example, showed a greater interquartile range and SD, which implied that it gave a lesser chance for the prediction of results for that particular condition. Financial burden existed to a moderate level on an average in all the patients. ConclusionsThe occurrence and severity of AEs was low, indicating that the patients tolerated and responded well to therapy. The survivorship is yet to be estimated and the life expectancy to be studied by further investigation of the subjects.