Functional capacity of women with breast neoplasm undergoing palliative chemotherapy

Analysis of the factors influencing moderate to poor performance status in patients with cancer after chemotherapy: a cross-sectional study comparing three models

There are no models for assessing the factors that determine moderate to poor performance status in patients with cancer after chemotherapy. This study investigated the influencing factors and identified the best model for predicting moderate-poor performance status. A convenience sampling method was used. Demographic and clinical data and evaluation results for fatigue, pain, quality of life and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status were collected three days after the end of chemotherapy. Decision tree, random forest and logistic regression models were constructed. Ninety-four subjects in the case group had moderate to poor performance status, and 365 subjects in the control group had no or mild activity disorders. The random forest model was the most accurate model. Physical function, total protein, general quality of life within one week before chemotherapy, hemoglobin, pain symptoms and globulin were the main factors. Total protein and hemoglobin levels reflect nutritional status, and globulin levels are an index of liver function. Therefore, physical function, nutritional status, general quality of life and pain symptoms within one week before chemotherapy and liver function can be used to predict moderate-poor performance status. Nurses should pay more attention to patients with poor physical function, poor nutritional status, lower quality of life and pain symptoms after chemotherapy.

Quality of life assessment of patients undergoing palliative chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Palliative chemotherapy uses systemic antineoplastic agents to treat an incurable malignancy. The results of cancer treatment need to be measured in terms of what physical and psychological limitations it brings to the patient. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate and establish the impact of the disease and its treatment on the patient's quality of life.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the quality of life of cancer patients undergoing palliative antineoplastic chemotherapy.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study with quali-quantitative unfolding. Three research instruments were applied: sociodemographic and clinical data; European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30); interview script with predefined open questions.

RESULTS

The quality of life of the participants was considered good. Fatigue and financial difficulty were the main factors that interfered in daily activities. Three analytical categories emerged from the content analysis of the interviews: communication between the health team and the patient; patient's perception of their health/disease; concerns vs prospects.

CONCLUSION

The evaluation of quality of life for people who are at the end of life needs to balance technological and therapeutic advances, alongside aspects such as the perspective of these patients and the context of their lives.