The relationship between disease features and quality of life in patients with cancer - I

The high incidence and the severe symptoms of cancer have a considerable ef fect on quality of life in patients. The relationship between quality of li fe in patients with cancer and treatment, early diagnosis, disease acceptan ce, pain, psychological distress, loss of organ, duration of disease, and c aregivers was investigated. This study included 508 patients with cancer tr eated in either inpatient or outpatient clinics of 5 oncology centers in An kara, Turkey, between August 1998 and January 2000. Patients were selected by interviews. Data were collected by a questionnaire to determine disease features and to evaluate patients' quality of life. We found that several d isease features, including treatment, early diagnosis, disease acceptance, pain, psychological distress, and caregivers, had an effect on patients' qu ality of life (P < 0.05), whereas loss of organ and duration of disease did not. The results of this study underline the significant effect of psychos ocial care programs on quality of life. In the future, assessments of quali ty of life can help healthcare personnel to prepare psychosocial care progr ams.