Evaluation of quality of life and psychological response in cancer patients treated with radiotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
The importance of the quality of life (QOL) and mental condition of patients being treated for cancer is now recognized. In this study, we evaluated QOL and mental condition in patients with cancer before and after radiotherapy.


METHODS
The subjects were 170 patients who had undergone radiotherapy. The examination of QOL was performed using the quality of life questionnaire for cancer patients treated with anticancer drugs (QOL-ACD), and mental condition (anxiety and depression) was examined using the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS). These examinations were performed at the start of radiotherapy and immediately after radiotherapy.


RESULTS
The QOL score was slightly higher in all patients after the completion of radiotherapy than before the start of radiotherapy. In the palliative radiotherapy group, QOL score was significantly improved by treatment. Anxiety and depression were improved after radiotherapy. There was a correlation between the degrees of improvement of the HADS and QOL score.


CONCLUSIONS
We could treat cancer patients by radiotherapy without reducing their QOL, and improvement in QOL was significant in the palliative radiotherapy group. Mental condition was also improved after radiotherapy.
Takahashi
Takeo
T
Department of Radiology, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical University, Kawagoe, 350-8550, Japan. taketaka@saitama-med.ac.jp
Hondo
Mikito
M
Nishimura
Keiichiro
K
Kitani
Akira
A
Yamano
Takafumi
T
Yanagita
Hisami
H
Osada
Hisato
H
Shinbo
Munefumi
M
Honda
Norinari
N