title: Assessment of quality of life of children and adolescents with cancer during their treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of life of children and adolescents with any type of cancer in all phases of their treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-six newly diagnosed patients diagnosed with malignancy and hospitalized in a Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Unit in Athens were included in the study. Minneapolis-Manchester Quality of Life Instrument was used for data collection from July 2010 to December 2012. The assessment of children and adolescents' quality of life who were under treatment was performed in three different stages of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of the study showed that the quality of life of children and adolescents with cancer did not change notably during their treatment (F = 0.16, P = 0.86 and F = 0.03, P = 0.97). For the first measurement, at the beginning of the therapy, the score on the scale for quality of life for children and adolescents was 3.44 and 3.88, respectively, in the middle of the treatment 3.36 and 3.89, respectively, and 3.43 and 3.89, respectively, when therapy was completed. Children and adolescents diagnosed with hematologic cancer stated higher quality of life scores (z = -1.61, P = 0.05 and t = 2.64, P = 0.007). Moreover, teenage patients (F = 13.22, P = 0.001) and male patients (t = 2.31, P = 0.02 and t = 2.27, P = 0.02) expressed better quality-of-life scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the results, children and adolescents with any kind of cancer have better quality-of-life scores at the end of their treatment, and when they are supported by their family.
authors.affiliation: In Service Nursing Education Department, "Agia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens.
authors.forename: Efrosini
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vlachioti
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens.
authors.forename: Vasiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Matziou
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, University of Peloponnese, Sparta pantperdikaris@ath.forthnet.gr.
authors.forename: Pantelis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Perdikaris
authors.affiliation: HR Management Department, Hellenic MoD of Athens, Athens.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mitsiou
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Technological Educational Institute of Athens, Athens.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stylianou
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsoumakas
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moschovi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: adolescent; age; cancer; children; gender; quality of life; treatment