For patients diagnosed with cancer what is Qulity of Life?

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the concept of quality of life from the patient´s perspective. Method: 1029 patients having different diagnoses of cancer were evaluated using an open-ended question (How would you define Quality of Life?). The text of the individual replies was processed in order to perform lexicometric analysis which includes correspondence analysis. Results: Graphical forms and repeated segments that are most frequent are related to the concepts of well-being, health, functionality, good nutrition and spiritual and family aspects. These concepts change depending on type of cancer. Correspondence analysis suggests three domains: one related to care, the other having to do with well-being and another one dealing with nutrition and social and family aspects. There was an association between these dimensions and type of cancer (dimension 1: pediatric patients; dimension 2: breast cancer; and dimension 3: patients with prostrate cancer). In the multidimensional space that was constituted by graphical forms and repeated segments the diagnosis of pediatric cancer differs from others types of cancer. Conclusion: The design of instruments for measuring quality of live in patients having a cancer diagnosis should incorporate disease specific characteristics.