Abstract
BACKGROUND: Quality of life (QoL(is an important factor in cancer patients through which the important consequences of disease treatment can be evaluated. This study aimed to identify QoL and its factors influencing Gastric and colorectal cancer survivors.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive-correlation study was conducted among 120 GI cancer survivors in Tabriz city per year 2019. which was done on patients with GI cancer referred to the clinic and inpatient departments of Ghazi Hospital in Tabriz. Participants were recruited using the convenience sampling method. After obtaining the consent of the patients and data were collected by private interview method in a private environment. Data were collected using cancer-related quality of life questionnaire (QLQ-C30). The predictor factors were identified using a linear regression model.
RESULTS: The average overall QoL score was 48.98. Based on the threshold defined in the scales of physical performance, cognitive performance, emotional performance, fatigue, pain and financial problems, more than half of the patients had problems. anemia and marriage were the most predictors in all scales. HTN for global QoL scale and physical activity for symptom scale was identified as the strongest predictors. These factors predicted a significant proportion of variance for QoL, 84% for global QoL, 83.5% for functional scale, and 67.3% for symptom scale.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that the Qol of Iranian GI cancer survivors was poor. Therefore, managing some comorbidities and developing supportive care programs is essential to improve the QoL of these patients.