Factors influencing Patient’s Quality of Life (QoL) Undergoing Cancer Treatment- a Descriptive Exploratory study

Abstract

Background & Objectives:: Cancer is the major health problem in developed and developingcountries.With the advent of treatment like chemotherapy and radiotherapy, survival rates of manycancers have increased, but patient may experience side effects from the disease itself or from treatmentwhich can eventually hinder patient’s quality of life. The present study was planned to assess thequality of life among cancer patient undergoing cancer treatment in selected hospitals of Gangtok,East Sikkim. Methods: Investigator adopted the descriptive exploratory research design, where 100cancer patients, within the age group of 18 years or above, either hospitalized or attending day careservices and undergoing chemotherapy were selected through purposive sampling technique. The datawas collected through english version of European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer(EORTC C-30) for which validity and reliability was established. Results: Majority (42%) of thecancer patients were in the age group of ≥59 years and 89% had received chemotherapy, ranging from0 to 3 cycles (39%). Majority diagnosed with carcinoma of the gastro intestinal tract (45%) followedby reproductive tract (30%). The cancer patients undergoing cancer treatment had average quality oflife. General health/quality of life was significantly different depending on age, place of habitat, therapyhistory, type of chemotherapy received (p< 0.05), functional quality of life with type of family, type ofchemotherapy (p< 0.05), symptom-related quality of life with marital status, educational status, type offamily and diagnosis of site (p< 0.05) and financial difficulty with sex of the cancer patients (p< 0.05).Conclusions: This study shows cancer patient had average quality of life. Thus is necessary to identifyfactors influencing quality of life among cancer patients to increase the effects of intervention to reducehelplessness and explaining power to improve health promotion behavior.