Asian Oncol Nurs.  2015 Mar;15(1):18-27. 10.5388/aon.2015.15.1.18.

Distress and Quality of Life in Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

• Seo JY
• Yi M

• KMID: 2269430
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5388/aon.2015.15.1.18

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to identify the levels of distress and quality of life in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and to identify the relationship between distress and quality of life.
METHODS
Data were collected during 2013 from 128 cancer patients receiving chemotherapy at a hospital located in Seoul, South Korea. Distress thermometer and problem list were used to measure distress, and the Functional Assessment Cancer Therapy-general questionnaire was used to measure quality of life. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, the post-hoc Scheffe test, and Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to analyze the data.
RESULTS
Among the 128 participants, 68 (53.1%) were male and the mean age was 52.55 years. Forty two (32.8%) were diagnosed with stage 4 and 73 (57.0%) were having recurrence or metastasis. The mean score for distress was 4.01 out of 10. Seventy four (57.8%) participants had a score of 4 or higher, indicating clinically significant distress. Emotional problems had the highest item mean among five domains. The mean score for quality of life was 68.51 +/- 14.22 out of 108. Distress and quality of life were negatively correlated (r= -.52, p<.001).
CONCLUSION
Distress level with specific problems should be regularly assessed to relieve distress and improve the quality of life of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

Keyword

Chemotherapy; Neoplasm; Stress; Quality of Life

MeSH Terms

Drug Therapy*
Humans
Korea
Male
Neoplasm Metastasis
Quality of Life*
Recurrence
Seoul
Thermometers
Surveys and Questionnaires

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