Quality of life in breast cancer sufferers
International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance
ISSN: 0952-6862
Article publication date: 8 August 2016
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to measure health-related quality of life (QOL) among patients with early stage cancer breast under curative treatment at department of oncology and nuclear medicine at Ain Shams University Hospitals. Identify factors affecting QOL among these patients.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional study measured QOL among early stage female breast cancer (BC) patients and determined the main factors affecting their QOL. Three interviewer administered questionnaires were used.
Findings
The physical domain mostly affected in BC patients and the functional domain least. Socio-demographic factors that significantly affected BC patients QOL scores were patient age, education, having children and family income. Specific patient characteristics include caregiver presence – a factor that affected different QOL scores. Age at diagnosis, affection in the side of the predominant hand, post-operative chemotherapy and difficulty in obtaining the medication were the disease-related factors that affected QOL scores.
Originality/value
The final model predicting QOL for early stage female BC patients included age, education and difficulty in obtaining the medication as determinants for total QOL score. Carer presence was the specific patient characteristic that affected different QOL scores.
Keywords
Citation
Shouman, A.E., Abou El Ezz, N.F., Gado, N. and Ibrahim Goda, A.M. (2016), "Quality of life in breast cancer sufferers", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 29 No. 7, pp. 721-732. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHCQA-05-2015-0057
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited