Abstract
Background
In this new era of cancer management, the quality of life (QOL) is given more importance than the quantity of life. QOL evaluation studies are widely used in oncology to assess the patient's performance in different cancer types and treatment modalities.
Objective
To evaluate cancer patients’ QOL after various chemotherapy cycles.
Methods
An observational study was performed on cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in the daycare setting of a South Indian Tertiary Care Hospital for 6 months. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) questionnaire was employed to study the QOL.
Results
Precisely, 102 patients participated in the study, out of which the majority were in the 51 to 60 age group (24%). Female participants (65%) were more. Functional scale domains especially physical ability (P = 0.004), role (P = 0.033), and emotional functioning (P = 0.01) were significantly decreased in patients treated with 4 to 6 chemotherapy cycles. Cognitive ability (P = 0.043) significantly improved in patients treated with more than 6 chemotherapy cycles. Dyspnea (P = 0.036) was significantly increased in patients treated with 4 to 6 chemotherapy cycles and decreased significantly with the further addition of chemotherapy cycles.
Conclusion
Dyspnea is a commonly observed symptom among cancer patients and is often neglected by physicians. Chronic dyspnea can negatively impact a patient's functional ability. Cancer symptoms such as dyspnea should also be given priority and need appropriate treatment. Based on the findings, further interventions can be made to improve the functional ability of cancer patients. Also, studies can be conducted to correlate with cancer rehabilitation programs to improve functional ability and complete the entire chemotherapy cycle.
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