Evaluation of the life quality of the patients treated for gastrointestinal cancer and their caregivers in Dokuz Eylül University Hospital Medical Oncology

Aims: Cancer is a serious disease that significantly affects the quality of life of both patients and caregivers. Cancers of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) have an important place among all cancers and long-term systemic chemotherapies which are applied in frequent intervals are used with therapeutic purpose. This therapy plan brings along recurrent hospital admissions. So this entire process can negatively affect the quality of life (QoL) of both patients and caregivers. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the QoL of patients who have been newly diagnosed with GIT cancer and who are going to be received systemic chemotherapy, and their caregivers, the change of QoL in this process and the factors affecting it. Methods: Patients who applied to the Dokuz Eylül University Hospital Medical Oncology Outpatient Clinic between 23.12.2019 - 10.07.2020 and who have not yet started treatment or have already received less than half of the planned chemotherapy and their caregivers are included to this cross-sectional study, SF-36 Quality of Life Scale was applied to the patients and caregivers who met the inclusion criteria via face-to-face interview method. This scale, consisting of 36 items in total, measures 8 dimensions in physical function, social function, role limitations due to physical problems, role limitations related to emotional problems, mental health, energy / vitality, pain and general perception of health. SF-36 Quality of Life Scale, for both the patient and the caregiver, was applied total of 2 times, at the time of diagnosis or when they received less than half of his planned therapy and in the third month of the treatment (during the interim evaluation phase). Also at first visit, the sociodemographic datas of the patients were recorded in the Patient Identifier Form and the clinical follow-up data of the patients were recorded by the doctor in the Patient Diagnosis Form. Similarly, sociodemographic datas of the caregivers were recorded in the Caregiver Identifier Form, which was filled out by the caregiver under the supervision of a doctor or filled out by the doctor if necessary. Results: 65 patients and their caregivers were included in the study. Twenty (30,8%) of the patients were female and 45 (69,2%) were male, and the mean age was 59,8 ± 11,6 (34-78). Of the caregivers, 35 were women (53,8%), 30 (46,2%) were men, and the average age was 45,5 ± 13,6. 41,5% of patients had colorectal cancer, 29,2% had gastric cancer and 15,4% had pancreatic cancer. The data of SF-36 Quality of Life Scale of the patients were evaluated before and after the treatment and it was found that there was no statistical change in general but there was a significant decrease in the post-therapy social function parameter according to pre-therapy (p= 0,027). Sex, comorbidites, educational level and ECOG PS score were effective on the change of the SF-36 Quality of Life Scale data of the patients, Similarly, when the data of SF-36 Quality of Life Scale of caregivers were evaluated before and after treatment, physical function (p= 0,012) and emotional role difficulty (p= 0,014) parameters were decreased moderately, also increase in general perception of health parameter (p= 0,013) was noted. Sex, comorbidities, educational level and treatment response of patient and sex of caregiver were effective on the change of the SF-36 Quality of Life Scale data of the caregivers. When the data of SF-36 Quality of Life Scale of patients and caregivers were evaluated together before and after treatment, it was revealed that the change in emotional role difficulty (p= 0,025) and pain (p= 0,048) were statistically correlated between the two groups. Conclusion: The QoL of patients, who are receiving chemothearpy, and their caregivers may change during the treatment process. Therefore, it is important to monitor the QoL of both patients and their caregivers and give support to keep QoL high as of diagnosis. Keywords: Cancer, GIT cancer, quality of life, SF-36 quality of life scale