Evaluation of patients with hematological malignancies in the geriatric age group with EORTC C30 and G8 scales

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of cancer increases with age and it is more common in elderly patients. Different studies have been conducted to determine the quality of life in elderly patients with hematological malignancies; however, there are no tools developed specifically for symptom assessment and quality of life assessment. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the quality of life and geriatric health status of patients over 65 years of age with hematological malignancies and to investigate the factors affecting them. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred twenty patients over 65 years of age who applied to Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University Hospital and were followed up for hematological malignancy were included in the study. Tests of 15 patients with missing or incorrect data were excluded from the study. Statistical analyzes were performed with 105 patients. Demographic characteristics of the patients were presented as percentages and frequencies. Kruskal-Wallis was used to compare categorical data and unpaired t-test was used to compare continuous data. Pearson correlation test was used for correlation analysis. Those with p values of p<0.05 presented in the study were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The study was conducted with a total of 105 patients, 44.8% (n= 47) female and 55.2% (n= 58) male. When the quality of life of our patients was compared according to their demographic characteristics, the effects of smoking and alcohol use on the quality of life of our patients were found to be similar (p=0.62, p=0.24, respectively). Significant differences were found between the groups in the fatigue scale of our patients compared according to their living environment (p=0.004). Statistically high scores of our literate patients in physical function, role function and emotional function scales were found (p=0.04, p=0.04 and 0.03, respectively). Significant differences were found between the groups in physical function and fatigue scales of our patients who were compared according to marital status (p=0.004). When our patients who received active chemotherapy and were followed up in remission were compared, a significant difference was found in all scales except dyspnea (p=0.11). When comparing the hematological malignancies, a significant difference was found between the groups only in the pain scale (p=0.02). Correlation was found between the EORTC QLQ-C30 quality of life questionnaire and the G8 geriatric health status questionnaire on all scales. CONCLUSION: When the quality of life of the patients in our study was compared according to their demographic characteristics, the statistical analyzes obtained in factors such as living environment, marital status, literacy and treatment status were in line with the literature data. The scores of our patients in the G8 geriatric health status questionnaire and the scores in the EORTC QLQ- C30 quality of life questionnaire were correlated for all parameters. No correlation was found in any parameter in the EORTC QLQ-C30 quality of life questionnaire according to hemoglobin value.