QUALITY-OF-LIFE AND COPING IN PATIENTS WI TH ACUTE MYELOID-LEUKEMIA

Advances in chemotherapy significantly prolong survival of patients wi th acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and may cure a significant percentage of patients. Therefore, the assessment of quality of life (QL) of pati ents undergoing chemotherapy is of growing interest. This study was de signed to evaluate QL in patients with AML treated according to the pr otocol of the German AML-Cooperative Group (Munster, FRG). Based on co nceptual, methodological and practical criteria, the EORTC-QLQ C 30 qu estionnaire was used. In addition, patients' coping strategies were as sessed by the FQCI. Patients' individual perception of their disease a nd therapy was evaluated by a semi-structured interview. Currently, 61 patients are enrolled in the protocol. For those patients having comp leted the course of inpatient treatment, individual assessment of Glob al Health Status and Subjective QL improves significantly. The content analysis of the interviews shows to what extent aspects of the inpati ent setting influence patients' QL. Although only a minority of patien ts with AML remain in continous complete remission, the evaluation of QL in patients undergoing treatment shows that subjective benefit outw eighs the effects of antileukemic therapy.