Study on the impact of anemia on the Quality of Life (QoL) of cancer patients

Abstract

Aim: Anemia is considered a common symptom in cancer patients. Its prevalence is high and results in decreased functional capacity and quality of life (QoL). Our investigation focuses on the high impact of anemia on the QoL of anemic cancer patients, and finds an association of age, gender, type of cancer, severity of anemia and treatment status in relation to various QoL aspects. Patients and Methods: 80 patients were enrolled and asked to fill in a QoL questionnaire (QLQ-C30) validated by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). T-test, ANOVA, post Hoc test and linear regressions were performed using the QoL scores to find correlations and associations among the various factors. Results: Patients aged ≥60 years reported better QoL and social functioning. Healthier cognitive functioning was significant with gynecological malignancies. Global health status assessment showed poor QoL scores (32.8±15.6). Fatigue, pain and financial impact of the disease were found to be affecting the patients’ overall QoL as seen from high symptom scores. Life-threatening anemic cases reported the worst QoL and least scores for physical, rôle, cognitive and emotional functioning compared to that of mild and severe cases, indicating a strong association between hemoglobin levels and QoL. Conclusion: It was evident from our observations that the low QoL of anemic cancer patients was largely due to disease burden, low hemoglobin levels and fatigue. Hence it is crucial to consider these and offer guidelines for management of low QoL and improve the anemic conditions for the wellbeing of the patient.