A cross-sectional study to assess the quality of life among cancer patients in a tertiary care hospital in a metropolitan city (original) (raw)

2023, International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health

Cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality and the second most common cause of death globally. 1-3 It is a group of diseases that occurs due to uncontrolled growth and proliferation of abnormal cells which can even lead to death if not controlled. 2,4 It also results in physical inadequacies and psychological problems with periods of remission and exacerbations. 5 Current dogma states that cancer is a multi-gene, multi-step disease which originates from a single abnormal cell (clonal origin) with an altered DNA sequence also known as mutation. 2 Quality of life defined by WHO as "Individuals perceptions of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems during which they live and in reference to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns". It is a broad ranging concept affected in a complex way by the person's physical health, psychological state, level of independence, social relationships, personal beliefs and their relationship to salient features of their environment. A person with cancer may experience severe effects on their physical, mental, and emotional well-being as well ABSTRACT Background: Cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Quality of life measures have now become a vital part of health outcome appraisal and an effective way of capturing the personal and social context of patients. The diagnosis of cancer brings many challenges, with a major concern being maintaining the highest quality of life possible during and after the experience. The objectives of the study were to assess the health-related quality of life among cancer patients and also to study the effects of type of cancer and treatment received after one month on their quality of life. Methods: It was a descriptive, cross sectional and hospital-based study. Total duration of study was 6 months (August 2019-February2020), conducted in Oncology department of a Tertiary care hospital. A total of 90 cancer patients were selected as study subjects and interviewed by a validated SF-36 questionnaire. Results: A total of 90 cancer patients were included in the study, of which 18 were males and 72 were females and majority were in the age range of 40-60 years. 75% of cancer patients were living a below average quality of life. The study population had different types of cancers. Among females 50% patients were suffering from CA Breast and remaining patients were suffering from different types of cancer. Conclusions: Most of the patients who came to the oncology department of tertiary care hospital during our period of study had low quality of life.