Quality of life

About: Quality of life is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 42912 publications have been published within this topic receiving 1198363 citations. The topic is also known as: life quality.

A systematic review on the impact of leg ulceration on patients' quality of life

Abstract: Background A systematic review was conducted to analyse journal articles that describe or measure the impact of leg ulceration on patients' quality of life (QoL) in order to improve the content of an educational programme that aims to enhance self-care agency in leg ulcer patients.

Symptom Improvement in Lung Cancer Patients Treated With Erlotinib: Quality of Life Analysis of the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group Study BR.21

Abstract: Purpose This report describes the quality of life (QOL) findings of a randomized placebo controlled study of erlotinib, an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor, in patients with non‐small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and Methods This double-blind phase III trial randomly assigned 731 patients with NSCLC who had progressed after prior chemotherapy to erlotinib 150 mg daily or placebo, with survival as the primary study outcome. QOL was assessed by European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and the lung cancer module QLQ-LC13. The primary end points for QOL analysis were time to deterioration of three common lung cancer symptoms: cough, dyspnea, and pain. Results Survival was significantly longer (hazard ratio, 0.70; P .0001) in the erlotinib arm. Compliance with QOL was 87% at baseline and more than 70% during treatment. Patients receiving erlotinib had significantly longer median time to deterioration for all three symptoms (4.9 v 3.7 months for cough [P .04]; 4.7 v 2.9 months for dyspnea [P .04], and 2.8 v 1.9 months for pain [P .03]). QOL response analyses showed that 44%, 34%, and 42% of patients receiving erlotinib had improvement in these three symptoms, respectively. This was accompanied by a significant improvement in the physical function (31% erlotinib v 19% placebo, P .01), and global QOL (35% v 26%, P .0001). Patients with complete or partial response were more likely to have improvement in the QOL response than patients with stable or progressive disease (P .01).

Impact of bowel dysfunction on quality of life after sphincter‐preserving resection for rectal cancer

Abstract: Background Bowel dysfunction after sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer is a common complication, with the potential to affect quality of life (QoL) strongly. The aim of this study was to examine the extent of bowel dysfunction and impact on health-related QoL after curative sphincter-preserving resection for rectal cancer. Methods QoL was assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 questionnaire, and bowel function using a validated questionnaire, including the recently developed low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) score. Assessments were carried out at the time of diagnosis, and at 3 and 12 months after surgery. Results A total of 260 patients were included in the study. At 3 months, 58·0 per cent of patients had a LARS score of 30 or more (major LARS), which declined to 45·9 per cent at 12 months (P < 0·001). The risk of major LARS was significantly increased in patients who received neoadjuvant therapy (odds ratio 2·41, 95 per cent confidence interval 1·00 to 5·83), and after total versus partial mesorectal excision (odds ratio 2·81, 1·35 to 5·88). Global health status was closely associated with LARS, and significant differences in global health status, functional and symptom scales of QoL were found between patients without LARS and those with major LARS. Conclusion Bowel dysfunction is a major problem with an immense impact on QoL following sphincter-preserving resection. The risk of major LARS was significantly increased after neoadjuvant therapy and total mesorectal excision.

Subgroups of patients with cancer with different symptom experiences and quality-of-life outcomes: a cluster analysis.

Abstract: PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To identify subgroups of outpatients with cancer based on their experiences with the symptoms of fatigue, sleep disturbance, depression, and pain; to explore whether patients in the subgroups differed on selected demographic, disease, and treatment characteristics; and to determine whether patients in the subgroups differed on two important patient outcomes: functional status and quality of life (QOL). DESIGN: Descriptive, correlational study. SETTING: Four outpatient oncology practices in northern California. SAMPLE: 191 outpatients with cancer receiving active treatment. METHODS: Patients completed a demographic questionnaire, Karnofsky Performance Status scale, Lee Fatigue Scale, General Sleep Disturbance Scale, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Multidimensional Quality-of-Life Scale Cancer, and a numeric rating scale of worst pain intensity. Medical records were reviewed for disease and treatment information. Cluster analysis was used to identify patient subgroups based on patients symptom experiences. Differences in demographic, disease, and treatment characteristics as well as in outcomes were evaluated using analysis of variance and chi square analysis. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Subgroup membership, fatigue, sleep disturbance, depression, pain, functional status, and QOL. FINDINGS: Four relatively distinct patient subgroups were identified based on patients experiences with four highly prevalent and related symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The subgroup of patients who reported low levels of all four symptoms reported the best functional status and QOL. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: The findings from this study need to be replicated before definitive clinical practice recommendations can be made. Until that time, clinicians need to assess patients for the occurrence of multiple symptoms that may place them at increased risk for poorer outcomes.