Adverse effects of chemotherapy influence the patients’ quality of life: Analysis of implicated factors

Abstract

Background: Past and recent findings indicate that adverse effects of chemotherapy influence the patients' quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate the implicated factors that influenced the perceived symptoms and quality of life in cancer patients during chemotherapy. Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted in a large hospital in a major city of Northern Greece. A total of 200 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in cycle 2 and cycle 3 were participated in the research. Data was collected using Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS), Functional Assessment Cancer Therapy (FACTG) additionally with a questionnaire for the demographic and clinical characteristics. Descriptive and conductive statistical methods were applied. Results: The vast majority of the participants were middle aged (58.9469.94 years) men (n=122, 61%) suffering from lung cancer (n=98, 48%). Analysis based on the chemotherapy cycle status revealed a significant differences in several factors grouping the patients regarding their chemotherapy cycle status (cycle 2 vs cycle 3). Particularly, feeling nervous level, severity and distress of dizziness and the severity in the way of food tastes [p=0.014, p=0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001 and p=0.030, respectively] differed statistically significantly. Moreover, multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that gender (p<0.001) and physical well-being score (p=0.005) affected perceived symptoms in MSAS. Furthermore, gender, occupational status, diet, type of cancer and family status influenced the overall quality of life in cycle 2 patients (p=0.002, p<0.001, p=0.002, p<0.001 and p<0.001 respectively); however, in cycle 3 patients : gender (p=0.003), occupational status (p<0.001), educational status (p<0.001) and diet (p<0.001) were referred as the most statistically significant variables that influence the overall quality of life. Conclusions: In conclusion, we demonstrate that adverse effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients play a critical role for the overall quality of patients' life. Patients demographic or/ and clinicobiological characteristics seem to influence the appearance of the adverse effects.