Quality of life of patients with colorectal cancer who were receiving complementary therapy

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a qualidade de vida, identificar os domínios afetados nos pacientes com câncer colorretal, caracterizar os dados sócio-demográficos, clínicos e terapêuticos e correlacioná-los aos domínios da qualidade de vida. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal, realizado no Centro Especializado de Oncologia de Ribeirão Preto com 22 pacientes com câncer colorretal em terapia adjuvante, entre julho/ 2006 a setembro/ 2007. Utilizou-se o instrumento Quality of Life Core-30-Questionnaire. RESULTADOS: A qualidade de vida foi considerada satisfatória (média = 79,13). Os domínios mais afetados foram: Função Emocional e sintomas dor, insônia, fadiga. Nas correlações, as mulheres destacaram-se negativamente, apresentando piores escores nas Funções Emocional, Cognitiva e sintomas: dor, insônia, fadiga, constipação e perda de apetite. Os pacientes em radioterapia relataram mais dor e os assintomáticos à quimioterapia são os que obtiveram melhor qualidade de vida geral. CONCLUSÃO: A qualidade de vida foi satisfatória, relativamente pior nas mulheres, em radioterapia e que apresentaram efeitos colaterais da quimioterapia.OBJETIVO: Evaluar la calidad de vida, identificar los dominios afectados en los pacientes con cáncer de rectocolon, caracterizar los datos socio-demográficos, clínicos y terapéuticos y correlacionarlos a los dominios de la calidad de vida. MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal, realizado en el Centro Especializado de Oncología de Ribeirão Preto con 22 pacientes con cáncer de rectocolon en terapia adyuvante, entre julio/ 2006 a setiembre/ 2007. Se utilizó el instrumento Quality of Life Core-30-Questionnaire. RESULTADOS: La calidad de vida fue considerada satisfactoria (media = 79,13). Los dominios más afectados fueron: Función Emocional y síntomas dolor, insomnio, fatiga. En las correlaciones, las mujeres se destacaron negativamente, presentando peores escores en las Funciones Emocional, Cognitiva y síntomas: dolor, insomnio, fatiga, constipación y pérdida del apetito. Los pacientes en radioterapia relataron más dolor y los asintomáticos a la quimioterapia son los que obtuvieron mejor calidad de vida general. CONCLUSIÓN: La calidad de vida fue satisfactoria, relativamente peor en las mujeres, en radioterapia y que presentaron efectos colaterales de la quimioterapiaOBJECTIVE: To evaluate quality of life and the main demographic, clinical, and therapeutic characteristics of patients with colorectal cancer. In addition, the objective of the study was to examine the relationship between those characteristics and quality of life. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a specialized oncology center in Ribeirão Preto. The sample consisted of 22 patients with colorectal cancer who were receiving complementary therapy. Data were collected from July 2006 through September 2007. The quality of life Core-30 Questionnaire was used to measure quality of life. RESULTS: Patients had a satisfactory quality of life score (mean = 79.13). The most affected domains were emotional functioning, pain, insomnia, and fatigue. Women had worse scores on emotional and cognitive functioning, pain, insomnia, fatigue, constipation, and loss of appetite. Patients who were receiving radiotherapy had a worse pain score. Patients who had no symptoms during chemotherapy had higher scores on quality of life. CONCLUSION: The quality of life scores in this sample of patients was satisfactory. Lower quality of life scores were observed among women, and patients who were receiving radiotherapy and/or had side effects of chemotherapy