Dyspnea in Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy and Its Impact on Quality of Life in Northern Greece

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess dyspnea in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and to determine whether dyspnea affects patients’ quality of life. Method: This study was descriptive and non-experimental. Two scales were used for the selection of the sample. Subjects were assessed for their dyspnea based on the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) and for quality of life using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G). Data collection was carried out during the third cycle of chemotherapy. Results: The mean age of patients was 58.95 ± 9.95 years. The majority of patients were male and married. 30% of patients belonging to the sample examined suffered from dyspnea. A percentage of 33.3% frequently experienced shortness of breath. With respect to severity, 31.7% replied that the symptom was severe; it was quite distressing for 21.7% of the sample and somewhat distressing for 18.5% of all patients. Logistic regression analysis showed that the statistically significant factors influencing dyspnea are age (p = 0.004) and gender (p = 0.030). Conclusions: Dyspnea is a symptom appearing in cancer patients during chemotherapy and it affects patients’ quality of life. This finding is very significant for Greek nurses seeking to recognize and assess this symptom in clinical settings. The recognition and evaluation of the symptom by nurses can lead to increased continuity in nursing care and to planned interventions to alleviate it.