The quality of life, general health, and pain sensations after treatment in the assessment of breast cancer patients

• Authors: Andrzej Nowicki , Joanna Trybulska , Piotr Rhone
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Introduction: General quality of life, health, and sensation of pain caused by cancer are connected with the physical, mental and social state of a human being. Aim of the study: The aim of the study is self-assessment of life quality, general health, and pain sensations in breast cancer patients after adjuvant therapy with chemo- and radiotherapy. Material and methods: The study was carried out in 2016 at the Professor Franciszek Łukaszczyk Oncology Clinic in Bydgoszcz. 56 women with breast cancer were qualified for the study, upon completion of treatment. Socio-demographic and clinical data was used, questions 29 and 30 from the QLQ C30 questionnaire, and the Memorial Pain Assessment Card. Results: Generally, the average self-assessment of health and life quality was 4.98 and 5.18 points, respectively. Age, education, marital status and the place of residence did not have any influence on the self-assessment of health and life quality (p > 0.05). 46 women (82.1%) did not take analgesics. Those patients who did not take analgesics assessed their health and life quality better, with the average scores of 5.3 and 5.63 points, respectively. The average for pain intensity was 2.05 on a 0–11 scale. Most women – 14 (25%) – assessed their mood as very good. The mood average was 2.91 points. Only the administration of analgesics influenced the mood score (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Women with breast cancer after radical treatment assess their health and life quality as good. Those not taking analgesics assess their health and life quality better and are decidedly in a better mood than those taking such medications. Socio-demographic factors do not influence self-assessment of health, life quality, or pain intensity.

Keywords

EN

breast cancer; health; life quality; pain

Discipline

• MEDICINE: MEDICINE

• Publisher: Medical Education
• Journal: OncoReview
• Year: 2018
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 54-59

Contributors

author

Andrzej Nowicki

• Department of Oncological Nursing, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń

author

Joanna Trybulska

• Department of Oncological Nursing, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń

author

Piotr Rhone

• Clinical Department of Breast Cancer and Reconstruction Surgery, Oncology Center in Bydgoszcz

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• Document Type: article