[Quality of life among patients receiving chemotherapy in the outpatient departments of a general hospital and its correlation with pain].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the relationship of quality of life and pain in patients receiving chemotherapy in the outpatient departments in a general hospital.


METHODS
A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to collect data on pain status, sleep disorder,vomiting,constipation as well as the social function status.


RESULTS
Among the 428 patient-times of survey, 12.2% of the patients had moderate to severe pain,of which 78.8% was consistent pain. The occurrence of pain was closely related to the metastasis of cancer (P = 0.000). The intensity and location of pain were independently correlated to the origin of cancer (P = 0.035, P = 0.000). Nearly a quarter of patients (24.5%) agreed that talking with his/her family was helpful to relieve pain, while 17.3% of patients had ambulatory restriction or changes in social function. The changes in social function were closely related with sleeping disorder, constipation, fatigue, and intensity of pain (all ,0.05). Furthermore, sleeping disorder was related to pain intensity (P=0.000), while constipation had no relationship with analgesic medicines (P = 0.798).


CONCLUSIONS
A significantly large proportion of patients who are receiving chemotherapies in the outpatient departments of general hospital are suffering from moderate to severe pain. Their decreased social functions correlate with the cancer-related somatic symptoms.
Gao
Xiang-dong
XD
Department of Medical Oncology, PUMC Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100730, China.
Ning
Xiao-hong
XH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010045:Outpatients; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents