Abstract
BackgroundEpithelial ovarian cancer survivors (EOCSs) frequently report multiple complaints after their treatment. The objective was to study somatic and mental morbidity in EOCSs associated with their Self- Rated Health (SRH) assessed by a single item.Findings were compared to age-matched controls from the general population.MethodsIn a cross -sectional follow-up design 189/287 (66%) EOCSs treated at The Norwegian Radiumhospital 1979–2003 responded to a mailed questionnaire on demographic data, and somatic and mental morbidity. SRH last week was rated on item #29 of the European Organization and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire in 84/189 (97%) of responding EOCSs. For comparisons "good" and "poor" SRH groups were defined by the median score on the SRH item.ResultsEOCSs with "poor SRH" had higher level of somatic symptoms, anxiety, depression and fatigue than those with "good SRH" (p < .001). In multivariate analyses somatic symptoms, age and fatigue, were significantly associated with the SRH score in EOCSs, but not the cancer-related variables (FIGO stage, recurrence in < 6 months or chemotherapy ever). The model explained 70% of the variance in SRH in linear and 77% in logistic regression analyses. The distribution of the SRH scores in EOCSs did not differ significantly from that of normative controls; however a higher proportion of controls recorded a high SRH score.ConclusionSRH is strongly related to common somatic complaints, impairment and fatigue but not to cancer-related variables. A single question concerning SRH last week might be a quick screening method for collecting important information on symptoms in EOCSs, in addition to cancer – related questions.
Highlights
Epithelial ovarian cancer survivors (EOCSs) frequently report multiple complaints after their treatment
Several studies have shown that epithelial ovarian cancer survivors (EOCSs) have significantly higher levels of somatic and mental symptoms as well as fatigue compared to women of the general population [3,4,5,6]
We have previously shown that compared to controls, EOCSs > 18 months after primary treatment had significantly more chronic fatigue, somatic and mental morbidity, somatic complaints, use of medications and more frequently used health care services than population-based controls [6]
Summary
Epithelial ovarian cancer survivors (EOCSs) frequently report multiple complaints after their treatment. Several studies have shown that epithelial ovarian cancer survivors (EOCSs) have significantly higher levels of somatic and mental symptoms as well as fatigue compared to women of the general population [3,4,5,6]. Two questions of the European Organization and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ C-30) [15,16] have been used in various SRH studies: item #29 "How would you evaluate your overall health during the past week?" and item #30:"How you rate your overall quality of life during the last week" Both items are scored on 7 point Liker scales, and the responses to these two items are highly correlated. The literature, has shown that overall health relates principally to somatic problems, while quality of life encompasses mental health to a greater extent [7,8]
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