Quality of Life in Cancer Patients undergoing Chemotherapy.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to describe the quality of life (QoL) in cancer patients with solid tumors and at different chemotherapy (CT) cycles.

Methods: A total of 200 cancer patients were included. With some modification, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QoL Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) was used to measure QoL in the student patients.

Results: There was no correlation between the QoL and variables such as age, sex, marital status, duration of disease, economic conditions, and occupational function. Furthermore, no correlation was found between QoL and the patients' educational level (literate or illiterate). Nevertheless, a significant difference was found between the level of QoL in patients with ≤ 2 CT cycles and/or with 3-5 cycles (p< 0.001).

Conclusion: This study suggests that encouraging cancer patients to complete a CT course plays an important role in the treatment outcome and the QoL in cancer patients undergoing CT.