QUALITY AND ADOPTION TO FAMILY LIFE IN CERVICAL

CANCER SURVIVORS AFTER RADIOTHERAPY

Dr.Rishan.T.S,Cancer Institute(WIA),

Adyar,Chennai

INTRODUCTION

Most common cancer among women in rural population

2nd most common among women in urban population

MMTR recorded 21.2% incidence in 2005 and 17.2% at present

Still under reported in India

MATERIALS AND METHODS

101 Disease free survival patients selected for the study

Age group 27 to 47 years Minimum survival period of 3 years

TOOLS

Cancer Institute-Quality of life Questionnaire EORTC Cervical cancer module ( QLQ CX 24) Distress Thermometer

CI-QOL

Comprises 41 questions 39 questions in Likert four point scale Last two questions in semantic scale ranging

from 1-10 More than one item in questionnaire assess

various components

Factor No Name No of items Item numbers

1. General well being 5 items 7,26, 30, 40, 41

2. Physical well being 10 items 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,10,11, 31

3. Psychological wellbeing 8 items 12,13,15,16,19,20,21,29

4. Interpersonal relationship 4 items 22,23,24,25

5. Sexual and personal ability 2 items 9,33

6. Cognitive well being 3 items 27,34,35

7. Optimism and Belief 2 items 36,37

8. Economical well being 3 items 14,17,32

9. Informational support 2 items 38,39

10. Patient- Physician relationship

1 item 28

11. Body image 1 item 18

SCORES

Below 99 Very Low

99-117 Low

118-146 Average

147-165 High

Above 165 Very high

EORTC QLQ CX 24

Module meant for patients varying in disease stage and treatment modality

Comprises 24 Questions Based on functional and symptomatic scale.

Distress Thermometer

Scores 0-4 no distress

Scores 5-7 some level of distress

Scores 8-10 High level of distress

ADMINISTRATION

Informed consent obtained prior to the study

45 to 60 minutes for questionnaire.

RESULTS

Radiation alone N=55 Concurrent Chemoradiation N=56 Stage 1 and 2 N=75 Stage 3 N=26 3 years of survival

BODY IMAGE

SEXUAL FUNCTIONING

ANALYSIS

52% 39%

9%

66.9% reported poor quality of life. 79.6% reported better body image Sexual dysfunction due to social stigma and

not due to treatment factors. Compared to western population, discomfort

not due to treatment modalities, but various social factors.

CONCLUSION

Compared to western population, our patients experienced a better QOL

Type of treatment and disease stage didnot affect QOL

Ignorance about cancers, reluctance among females, and age factors contributed to poor QOL.

THANK YOU