Significance of quality of life in cancer patients

Polovica bolnikov, ki so ozdravljeni, trpi za kasnimi zapleti zdravljenja, npr. telesnimi, psihosocialnimi, kognitivnimi in seksualnimi. Poleg tega so zaskrbljeni zaradi morebitne kasne ponovitve tega ali pojava novega raka. Preživeli se pogosto soočajo z brezposelnostjo in diskriminacijo na delovnem mestu. Kako se bodo odzvali na diagnozo rak, zdravljenje in posledicami le-tega oz. same bolezni, pa je v veliki meri odvisno tudi od informacij, ki jim jih nudi zdravstveno osebje. Samoocena z zdravjem povezane kakovosti življenja (angl. Health-Related Quality of Life - HRQOL) bolnikov z rakom postaja sestavni del onkološke klinične prakse. Pomaga nam pri izbiri za bolnika najprimerrnejšega zdravljenja. Spremembe v HRQOL med zdravljenjem lahko napovedo slabši odgovor na zdravljenje in ponovitev bolezni. Pri napredovali bolezni je v pomoč pri presoji pričakovanega preživetja in tako pri optimalni paliativni obravnavi oziroma podpornem zdravljenju.A half of cancer survivors suffer from delayed treatment complications, e.g. physical, psychosocial, cognitive and sexual. In addition, they worry about potential later cancer recurrence or onset of new cancer. Survivors often face unemployment and discrimination at work. How they react to cancer diagnosis, treatment and consequences of it or the very disease, greatly depends on the information offered to them by the medical staff. Self-evaluation of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in cancer patients is becoming a component part of oncology clinical practice. It is helpful in deciding the appropriate treatment for each patient. Changes in HRQOL during treatment can predict a poorer response to treatment and disease recurrence. In advanced cases it can help to estimate the expected survival rate and consequently optimal palliative treatment or supporting treatment