The effect of chemotherapy-induced nausea vomiting symptom on quality of life in individuals with gynecological cancer

This study was conducted in patients with gynecological cancer who received chemotherapy nausea vomiting in order to examine the effect of the symptom on the quality of life, the descriptive type it was carried out. April 15, 2022 – September 1, 2022, the research was conducted in the Gynecology Oncology Daytime Chemotherapy Unit of Hacettepe University Adult Hospital with 350 individuals with gynecological cancer who met the criteria for inclusion in the study and accepted the research. Dec. The data were collected face to-face by the researcher using the Personal Information Form, Rhodes Nausea Vomiting and Vomiting Index and EORTC QLQ-C30 Quality of Life Scale. The individuals participating in the study were formed by groups over the age of 18 and who have Turkish literacy. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 26 program. It was found that the effect of nausea vomiting vomiting symptom on the quality of life of individuals with gynecological cancer was statistically significant (p<0.05). As a result of increasing the nausea experience scores of individuals by one unit, it causes a decrease of approximately 3,816 on the overall quality of life scores (r:-3.816 , p<0.001). The mean score of the general quality of life sub-dimension of the EORTC QLQ-C30 Quality of Life Scale was found to be 56.31±13.14. The Rhodes Nausea Vomiting Retching Index score averages are 1.81±0.46 for symptom experience, 1.85±0.51 for symptom formation, and 1.75±0.52 for symptom distress. As a result of this research, it was found that chemotherapy-induced nausea vomiting and vomiting symptoms have a negative impact on the overall quality of life and its sub-dimensions. It is recommended to offer social support kits to individuals with gynecological cancer before and after the treatment course, to provide nurses with holistic trainings on symptoms, and to provide quality of life enhancing interventions. Keywords: Chemotherapy, gynecological cancer, nausea vomiting, nurse, quality of life