Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore quality of life (QoL) and the factors influencing QoL in gynecological cancer patients. One hundred sixty-seven patients with gynecologic cancers were recruited from a district hospital in Southern Taiwan. The instruments used included the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core-30 Version 3.0 in Chinese (EORTC QLQ-C30), the Symptom Distress Scale, and demographic characteristics and disease-related variables. The results showed that the mean score for the QLQ-C30 was 61.13 (SD = 22.71). In the stepwise regression model, two factors predicted overall global QoL: symptom distress (33.8%) and current occupation (2.2%). These predictors accounted for 36.0% of the total variance. These results showed that symptom distress was a predictor of QoL. This study provides a reference for use when designing improved educational care programs that reduce patient symptom distress and enhance gynecologic cancer patients’ QoL.

Keywords

gynecologic cancer quality of life symptom distress

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Aaronson

N. K.

Ahmedzia

Bergman

Bullinger

Cull

Duez

N. J.

. . . de Haes

J. C.

(1993). The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30: A quality-of-life instrument for use in international clinical trials in oncology. Journal of National Cancer Institute, 85, 365-376.

Akkuzu

(2012). Quality of life of women undergoing chemotherapy for a gynaecological oncological disease in Turkey. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 13, 1277-1280. doi:10.7314/APJCP.2012.4.1277

Arriba

L. N.

Fader

A. N.

Frasure

H. E.

von Gruenigen

V. E.

(2010). A review of issues surrounding quality of life among women with ovarian cancer. Gynecologic Oncology, 119, 390-396. doi:10.1016/j.yayno.2010.05.014

Bifulco

De Rosa

Tornesello

M. L.

Piccoli

Bertrando

Lavitola

. . . Nappi

(2012). Quality of life, life style behavior and employment experience: A comparison between young and midlife survivors of gynecology early stage cancers. Gynecologic Oncology, 124, 444-451. doi:10.1016/j.ygyno.2011.11.033

Chen

Y. J.

Chen

C. H.

(2006). Body image, social support and depression in gynecologic cancer patients. Journal of Evidence-Based Nursing, 2, 293-300. doi:10.6225/JEBN.2.4.293

Chen

Y. P.

Yeh

S. H.

Kung

F. T.

M. Y.

(2007). A correlational study of symptom distress, depression and quality of life in hospitalized cervical cancer patients. Journal of Evidence-Based Nursing, 3, 89-98.

Cheng

S. Y.

Lai

Y. H.

Chen

S. C.

Shun

S. C.

Liao

Y. M.

S. H.

. . . Chen

C. M.

(2011). Changes in quality of life among newly diagnosed breast cancer patients in Taiwan. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 21, 70-79. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2702.2011.03735.x

Ding

Zhu

Y. L.

Zhang

M. F.

(2007). Quality of life of Chinese patients with ovarian malignancies during chemotherapy under condition of no recurrence. Cancer Nursing, 30, 243-251.

Goker

Guvenal

Yanikkerem

Turhan

Koyuncu

F. M.

(2011). Quality of life in women with gynecologic cancer in Turkey. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 12, 3121-3128.

10.

Goncalves

(2010). Long-term quality of life in gynecological cancer survivors. Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 22, 30-35. doi:1010.1097/GCO.0b013e328332e626

11.

Health Promotion Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare. (2014). Cancer registry annual report, 2011 Taiwan. Retrieved from http://www.hpa.gov.tw/BHPNet/Web/Stat/StatisticsShow.aspx?No=201404160001

12.

Heydarnejad

M. S.

Hassanpour

D. A.

Solati

D. K.

(2011). Factors affecting quality of life in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Africa Health Sciences, 11, 266-270.

13.

Lai

Y. H.

(1998). Symptom distress and home care needs in patients receiving chemotherapy in an outpatient setting. Nursing Research, 6, 279-289.

14.

Leak

King

(2008). Symptom distress, spirituality, and quality of life in African American breast cancer survivors. Cancer Nursing, 31, 15-21. doi:10.1097/01.NCC.0000305681.06143.70

15.

Lerman

Jarski

Rea

Gellish

Vicini

(2012). Improving symptoms and quality of life of female cancer survivors: A randomized controlled study. Annals of Surgical Oncology, 19, 373-378. doi:10.1245/s10434-011-2051-2

16.

Lin

C. H.

Lin

L. Y.

J. Y.

Lin

J. L.

Chang

C. M.

(2006). The symptom distress and management experience of the patients who received chemotherapy in the outpatient department. VGH Nursing, 23, 364-373. doi:10.6142/VGHN.23.4.364

17.

McCorkle

Young

(1978). Development of Symptom Distress Scale. Cancer Nursing, 1, 373-378.

18.

Mystakidou

Parpa

Tsilika

M. E.

Pathiaki

Patiraki

Galanos

Vlahos

(2007). Sleep quality in advanced cancer patients. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 62, 527-533.

19.

Oshima

Kisa

Terashita

Habara

Kawabata

Maezawa

(2011). A qualitative study of Japanese patients’ perspectives on post-treatment care for gynecological cancer. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 12, 2255-2261.

20.

Ozaras

Ozyurda

(2010). Quality of life and influencing factors in patients with a gynaecologic cancer diagnosis at Gazi University, Turkey. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 11, 1403-1408.

21.

Park

J. S.

Y. J.

(2012). Factors influencing on quality of life in gynecological cancer patients. Korean Journal Adult Nursing, 24, 52-63.

22.

Perwitasari

D. A.

Atthobari

Mustofa

Dwiprahasto

Hakimi

Gelderblom

. . . Kaptein

A. A.

(2012). Impact of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting on quality of life in Indonesian patients with gynecologic cancer. International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, 22, 139-145. doi:10.1097/IGC.0b013e318234f9ee

23.

Reis

Beji

N. K.

Coskun

(2010). Quality of life and sexual functioning in gynecological cancer patients: Result from quantitative and qualitative data. European Journal Oncology Nursing, 14, 137-146.

24.

Siegel

Zou

Jemal

(2014). Cancer statistics, 2014. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 64, 9-29. doi:10.3322/caac.21208

25.

Tsai

T. Y.

Chen

S. Y.

Tsai

M. H.

C. M.

Y. L.

(2009). Factors related to sexual dysfunction in patients with cervical cancer. The Journal of Nursing, 56(6), 37-46. doi:10.6224/JN.56.6.37

26.

Walton

L. M.

Reeve

Brown

P. M.

Farquhar

C. M.

(2010). Gynaecologic cancer patients’ needs and experiences of supportive health services in New Zealand. Psycho-Oncology, 19, 201-208. doi:10.1002/pon.1553

27.

S. F.

Lin

Y. H.

Lee

L. L.

Kan

Y. Y.

(2014). The relationship between illness uncertainty and depression in gynecologic cancer patients. Journal of Nursing and Healthcare Research, 10(2), 83-93. doi:10.6225/JNHR.10.2.83

28.

Yavas

Dogan

N. U.

Yavas

Benzer

Yuce

Celik

(2012). Prospective assessment of quality of life and psychological distress in patients with gynecologic malignancy: A 1-year prospective study. International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, 22, 1096-1101. doi:10.1097/IGC.0b013e3182559c03

The Exploration of Health-Related Quality of Life

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References