Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between psychosocial distress and quality of life (QOL) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after radiotherapy. Fifty-three patients with an initial diagnosis of NPC were enrolled in this study. The psychological Distress Thermometer (DT) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Head & Neck (FACT-H&N) were conducted before and after radiotherapy in NPC patients. We compared the differences in psychological distress and QOL before and after radiotherapy and analyzed the correlation between psychological distress and QOL after radiotherapy. The performance on the DT was 6.60 ± 1.42 and 2.81 ± 1.43 before and after chemotherapy, respectively, with a significant difference between the time points (t = -13.73, P < 0.01). The performance on the FACT-H&N was 68.30 ± 6.14 and 39.84 ± 6.14 before and after chemotherapy, respectively, with a significant difference between the time points (t = -19.9, P< 0.01). There was a significant negative correlation between the DT score and the FACT-H&N score (r = -3.64, P< 0.01). Patients with NPC experience different degrees of psychological distress, an important factor that affects quality of life, after radiotherapy.
Highlights
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most common malignancies in the southern region of China
There was a significant negative correlation between the Distress Thermometer (DT) and FACT-H&N scores (r = -3.64, P = 0.007 < 0.01) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients after radiotherapy. These results indicate that the higher the DT score, the worse the quality of life (QOL) for the patient
A longitudinal prospective study found that psychological distress among cancer patients was associated with QOL, such that patients with moderate to severe psychological distress had a lower QOL [16]
Summary
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most common malignancies in the southern region of China. One study that assessed the rates of invasive malignant tumor diagnosed in 2015 found that the incidence rates of NPC were substantially higher in males than in females [1]. NPC patients may emerge from therapy with a range of side effects, including reactions of the mucous membranes, pain, fatigue, dysphasia, and difficulty swallowing. These side effects may result in certain emotional responses, thereby influencing the patient’s quality of life (QOL) [3]. Psychological distress is widespread in many cancer patients [5], and previous studies have suggested that the diagnosis and treatment of NPC can lead to the occurrence of psychological distress [6]
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