Health-related quality of life associated with different cervical cancer therapies received by patients in two Nigerian tertiary hospitals

Abstract

Background: There are important consequences from cervical cancer (CC) disease and its treatment among survivors, especiallythe impact on quality of life (QoL). Objective: To evaluate the health-related QoL associated with different CC therapies received by patients in two Nigerian tertiaryhospitals. Methods: This study employed a prospective longitudinal design. It was conducted at Usmanu Danfodiyo University TeachingHospital, Sokoto and Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria, North-Western Nigeria. Data of all the 157 eligible CCpatients were collected at baseline and after therapy. Data analysis was done with appropriate descriptive and inferential statisticsusing SPSS V. 20 for windows. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Chemotherapy (CT) was the major therapy option received by 78(49.7%) of the patients. Patients who received chemoradiation therapy (CRT) and adjuvant chemotherapy (CTS) had the highest increase in mean overall health-related QoL of 0.138(t=8.456, p<0.001) and 0.138 (t=6.489, p<0.001) higher than their respective baseline scores. Patients who received CT had theleast increase in mean overall health-related QoL of 0.095 (t=4.574, p<0.001) from baseline. Conclusion: Chemoradiation therapy and adjuvant chemotherapy were associated with highest increase in mean overallhealth-related QoL. Chemotherapy was associated with the least increase in mean overall health-related QoL. Keywords: Cervical cancer; quality of life; therapies.