Longitudinal Study On Quality Of Life And Influencing Factors Among Cervical Cancer Patients

Aims:(1) To describe the quality of life of patients with cervical cancer.(2) To explore the change of cervical cancer patients' quality of life.(3) To explore and analysis the influencing factors of their quality of life.(4) To analysis the change of influencing factors.Methods:(1) Use Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-cervix (FACT-Cx) to measure quality of life among cervical cancer patients at three time points (newly diagnosed,3months after diagnosis and 6 months after diagnosis). Collect social-demographic and disease-related data meanwhile.116 newly diagnosed patients were included.(2) SPSS15.0 was used to analysis data. Use descriptive analysis to describe the quality of life and demographic and disease-related status. Use repeated measurment to predict change of quality of life. Multiple linear regressions analysis were used to explore influencing factors of quality of life among cervical cancer patients.Results:(1) Quality of life of patients with cervical cancer were at a relatively middle or higher level. (scores 122.13±19.754 at the time of diagnosis)(2) Among the factor scores of five dimensions of FACT-Cx, the lowest scores were the social function dimension (scores 2.19±0.83,2.21±0.61 and 2.52±0.55 at three time points). Emotional function dimension was low at the time point of diagnosis (2.78±0.86). At the time poiont of 3months after diagnosis and 6 months after diagnosis, The cervix-specific subscale dimension was low (2.88±0.53 and 3.01±0.37 respectively)(3) The mean score of newly diagnosed patients'whole QOL (FACT-Cx) and FACT-G was 122.13±19.75 and 78.38±16.20 respectively. The score of FACT-Cx (P=0.016), FACT-G (p=0.009), physical domain (p=0.002) and emotional domain (p=0.000) improved after diagnosis. The score of social/family domain (p=0.000) and function domain (p=0.012)decreased first and improved later; The score of cervical cancer specific domain was stable during 6 months (p=0.114).(4) Multiple linear regression analysis showed that marriage status, family relationship, performance status, Perceived financial burden, Medical insurance coverage,educatin background and stage were the influencing factors of quality of life among cervical cancer patients.The impact factors varied among different time points.Conclusions:(1) Quality of life of patients with cervical cancer were at a relatively middle or higher level. Patients have bad quality of life in social function, emotional function and cervix-specific subscaled dimensions.(2) Cervical cancer patient's quality of life improved during the first half year. The change of score were different among different domain. Social/family and functional function did not recovered significantly, scores of cervix-specific subscaled dimension kept stable after diagnosis.(3) Quality of life among cervical cancer patients were influenced by many factos. We shoud pay more attention to patients who have low education level, heavy fiancial burden, are unsatisfied with family relationship, single, worse performance status, without medical insurance and with late stages. Specific intervention should be used to improve their quality of life.(4) The influencing factors of quality of life changed at different time points. Clinical nurses should be aware of this changes and provide different cares for patients.