title: Factors affecting health-related quality of life in prostate cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Lithuania. Quality of life (QoL) assessment plays a key role in the evaluation and treatment of cancer patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate factors affecting the QoL of patients with prostate cancer in Lithuania.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional national-level study was performed. QoL was investigated with the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, interrelationship analysis between characteristics and multivariate logistic regression to estimate predictors and odds ratios (ORs) for each of the independent variables in the model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 74.8% (N = 486). One-quarter of respondents with prostate cancer indicated high QoL scores. Higher QoL scores were given for prostate cancer patients with lower education level [OR = 3.092, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.007-9.491, p = 0.049], having lower monthly expenses for treatment (OR = 3.653, CI 1.318-10.128, p = 0.013), disease stage II (by patient conveyance) (OR = 10.053, CI 1.015-99.534, p = 0.048), disease stage I (by medical record) (OR = 2.19E + 08, CI 218514200.17-218514200.17, p < 0.001) and in those with undisclosed disease stage (OR = 9.220, CI 1.251-67.965, p = 0.029).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant predictors for higher QoL scores were education level, own monthly expenses for treatment and disease stage. Patients with undisclosed disease stage more often had higher QoL scores.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Academy of Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania. ausra.mickeviciene@med.kmu.lt
authors.forename: Aušra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mickevičienė
authors.forename: Giedrius
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vanagas
authors.forename: Albertas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ulys
authors.forename: Mindaugas
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jievaltas
authors.forename: Giedrė
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Smailytė
authors.forename: Žilvinas
authors.initials: Ž
authors.lastname: Padaiga
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D006801:Humans; D008097:Lithuania; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires