A study to assess the quality of life among patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy in the day care unit of JMMC & RI, Thrissur

Abstract

Introduction: Adjuvant chemotherapy can profoundly affect patients quality of life, necessitating comprehensive evaluations to identify areas needing improvement. This study compiles findings from various groups investigating the quality of life of cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy in day care units, offering insights and highlighting areas for enhancement.Objectives: The objective of this research is to assess the quality of life among patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy at the day care unit of JMMC & RI and to explore the relationship between quality of life and specific sociodemographic as well as clinical factors. Methods: The study adopted a descriptive design with 60 adjuvant chemotherapy patients chosen through convenience sampling. A self-prepared questionnaire was utilized to evaluate their quality of life. Result: The study showed that there was significant association between quality of life of patients with age (p=0.009), education (p=0.002), food habits (p=0.038) and dependency (p=0.015). Majority of patients belong to the age group above 60 years. Majority of the patients have mixed food habits. Among the patients 14 are completely dependent 36 are partially dependent and 10 are independent. Majority of the patience had no unhealthy habits. Majority of the patients have no prior knowledge about cancer.Conclusion: Findings of the study indicate that patients receiving chemotherapy at the day care unit of JMMC & RI demonstrated a good quality of life in social (66.67%) and spiritual (91.67%) aspects, whereas their quality of life was moderate in physical (58.33%), psychological (51.67%), and cognitive (58.33%) domains.