Open AccessThe Effect of Chemotherapy on Quality of Life of the Patients with Metastatic Gastric and Colorectal Cancer
Author(s) -
Selda Çakın Ünnü,
İlkay Tuğba Ünek,
Ömercan Topaloğlu
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
i̇zmir tepecik eğitim hastanesi dergisi
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1305-7146
pISSN - 1305-7073
DOI - 10.5222/terh.2021.77598
Subject(s) - medicine , quality of life (healthcare) , nausea , constipation , colorectal cancer , chemotherapy , anorexia , cancer , oxaliplatin , palliative chemotherapy , vomiting , oncology , psychosocial , palliative care , physical therapy , psychiatry , nursing
Objective: The self-administered questionnaires by the patients are among the most important methods to evaluate the patient’s health related quality of life. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of chemotherapy on quality of life of the patients receiving palliative chemotherapy with the diagnosis of metastatic gastric and colorectal cancer by using EORTC QLQ-C30. Methods: This study included 100 patients who were treated with palliative chemotherapy for the diagnosis of metastatic gastric or colorectal cancer in İzmir Tepecik Education and Research Hospital Department of Medical Oncology between 2011-2012. The EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire was filled twice by the patients before chemoterapy started and after chemotherapy completed. Results: When the two questionnaires were compared, it was found that global health status and physical functioning did not change after the chemotherapy. Role functioning, cognitive functioning, and social functioning impaired but emotional functioning improved (p<0.05). After the chemoterapy, scores of fatigue and constipation decreased but financial difficulties increased (p<0.05). The symptom scores of nausea-vomitting, pain, dyspnea, insomnia, anorexia, diarrhea did not change. Conclusion: The results of this study suggested that a quality of life assessment with the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire would be beneficial in patients with metastatic gastric and colorectal cancer. In this way, impairments in functional scores, global health status and symptom scores that may occur after chemotherapy can be detected, clinicians can be helped to decide on the switch to chemotherapy regimens that are similar in effectiveness but have different side effects profile, the patients’ quality of life can be improved as a result of the application of the necessary palliative treatments.