[Assessment of the quality of life of patients with lung cancer using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the quality of life of patients with lung cancer and to compare it with that of individuals without cancer.


METHODS
The Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) was administered to 57 patients diagnosed with lung cancer, treated at the Lung Cancer Outpatient Clinic of the Hospital São Paulo, and to a control group of 57 individuals recruited from the Extra Penha workout group. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the groups, domain by domain. The first model of logistic regression was adjusted for male gender, nonsurgical treatment, Karnofsky performance status and smoking, which were included as predictors. The second model was adjusted for each SF-36 domain in order to identify increases in the proportions of patients in stage IIIB or IV.


RESULTS
The lung cancer group and the control group presented the following mean scores, respectively, for the SF-36 domains: role limitations due to physical health problems, 29.39 +/- 36.94 and 82.89 +/- 28.80; role limitations due to emotional problems, 42.78 +/- 44.78 and 86.55 +/- 28.77; physical function, 56.49 +/- 28.39 and 89.00 +/- 13.80; vitality, 61.61 +/- 23.82 and 79.12 +/- 17.68; bodily pain, 62.72 +/- 28.72 and 81.54 +/- 19.07; general health, 62.51 +/- 25.57 and 84.47 +/- 13.47; emotional well-being, 68.28 +/- 23.46 and 82.63 +/- 17.44; and social functioning, 72.87 +/- 29.20 and 91.67 +/- 17.44. The logistic regression model showed that role limitations due to physical health problems, physical function and emotional well-being were predictors of stages IIIB and IV.


CONCLUSIONS
The patients with lung cancer had a poorer quality of life, especially regarding physical aspects, than did the control subjects.
Franceschini
Juliana
J
Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. ju.franceschini@hotmail.com
Santos
Alecssandra Aparecida Dos
AA
El Mouallem
Inás
I
Jamnik
Sergio
S
Uehara
César
C
Fernandes
Ana Luisa Godoy
AL
Santoro
Ilka Lopes
IL
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*