The Relationships of Symptom Distress and Quality of Life in Gynecologic Cancer Patients

Wednesday, 24 July 2013

Lai-Liang Lee, RN, MSN1
Yu-Hua Lin, PhD2
Shu-Fen Wu, RN, MSN1
Yuen-Yee Kan, MD3
I. Lee, PhD4
(1)Nursing, Yuan’s General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
(2)I-Shou University, Department of Nursing,, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
(3)Gynecology, Yuan’s General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
(4)Nursing, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

Learning Objective 1: the learners will be able to know the symptom distress,quality of life among gynecologic cancer patients.

Learning Objective 2: the learners will be able to know the predictors of symptom distress,quality of life in gynecologic cancer patients.

Purpose: This study examined gynecologic cancer patient, symptom distress and quality of life, characteristics and related factors. 

Methods:  Using a cross-sectional design, 110 patients who diagnosed gynecologic cancer were recruited from a 647 beds general hospital in southern Taiwan. Data was collected from March 2012 to November 2012 by face to face interview using self-reported structured questionnaires. Outcome measurements included symptom distress and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core-30 Version 3 in Chinese (EPRTC QLQ-C30). 

Results: The results indicated that there were significant positive correlation between symptom distress and subscale of QLQ-C30 included role functioning, emotional functioning, cognitive functioning, social functioning, single items, and symptom structure. There were significant negative correlation between symptom distress and subscale of QLQ-C30 included physical functioning, and global quality of life. In stepwise regression model, two factors were the predictors of physical functioning, included symptom distress (6.9%), and diagnosed cervical cancer (5.4%) and account for 12.2% total variance.  

Conclusion: A better understand patients’ symptom distress might provide appropriate quality of patient care. Health care professionals are responsible to provide appropriate nursing intervention to decrease the symptom distress, and to enhance patient’s quality of life.