Prospective assessment of quality of life and psychological distress in patients with gynecologic malignancy: a 1-year prospective study.
OBJECTIVE
Our aim was to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological distress in patients treated with radiotherapy (RT) for gynecologic malignancy.


METHODS
Fifty-seven women with either cervical or endometrial cancer were prospectively enrolled. We assessed HRQoL at baseline (after surgery before RT), at the end of RT, and during follow-up (every 3 months thereafter) using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cervical Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire 24 (EORTC QLQ-CX24), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.


RESULTS
We demonstrated changes in appetite loss (P = 0.03), nausea and vomiting (P = 0.02), and role function score (P = 0.003) domains of EORTC QLQ-C30. Only the mean body image score of EORTC QLQ-CX24 was significantly different during follow-up (P = 0.02). Type of surgery, histopathological diagnosis, and the menopausal and marital status of the patients affected baseline body image scores (P = 0.032, 0.004, and 0.019 and 0.005, respectively). Patients who underwent chemotherapy had higher baseline body image scores when compared with patients without any chemotherapy before RT (P = 0.028). All the complaints of patients except body image scores improved during the follow-up period. The baseline and follow-up anxiety and depression scores did not differ significantly.


CONCLUSIONS
Although pelvic RT deteriorated HRQoL in gynecologic cancer, patients' improvement in HRQoL during follow-up was observed. Patients receiving RT could be reassured about the improvement of acute adverse effects in the course of treatment.
Department of Radiation Oncology, Selcuklu Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey.
Guler
G
Yavas
Nasuh Utku
NU
Dogan
Cagdas
C
Yavas
Nilgun
N
Benzer
Deniz
D
Yuce
Cetin
C
Celik
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014421:Turkey; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000532:radiotherapy