Evaluation of quality of life of adult cancer patients attending Tikur Anbessa specialized referral hospital, Addis Ababa Ethiopia.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the quality of life of cancer patients in the Ethiopian context. This study evaluated quality of life of cancer patients in Ethiopia.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted in Addis Ababa University Tikur Anbessa Specialized Referral Hospital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (TASRH) from March to May 2013. A total of 388 cancer patients were included. Translated in to Amharic, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QOL C-30) was used to measure Quality of life (QoL). The data was analyzed with SPSS Version 17.0.


RESULTS
Among the participants, 251(64.7%) were men and 138(35.6%) were below the age of 40 years. Large proportion of patients were diagnosed with breast cancer, 114(29.4%), and cervical cancer, 102(26.3%), and the clinical stages during the beginning of therapy were at stage II a 133(34.3%). The mean of global health status/QoL was 57.28 (SD= 25.28). Quality of life was found to be associated with some functional scales as role functioning, P≤0.001, social function, P=0.00, and symptom scales as pain, P=0.00, loss of appetite, P=0.004, and financial impact, P=0.02, but no associations were noted in relation to socio demographic characteristics.


CONCLUSIONS
Quality of life assessments should be included in patient treatment protocols to improve their quality of life since being a cancer patient may be associated with a high level of impairment in different aspects of life.
Department of Nursing, Mizan Tepi University, Ethiopia.
Niguse
N
Tadele
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000855:Anorexia / Q000209:etiology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult
Cancer; Ethiopia; Quality of life