Quality of life of lung cancer patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy

An increasing number of cancer patients receive outpatient chemotherapy as an alternative to inpatient chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to investigate whether quality of life (QOL) during outpatient chemotherapy was better than QOL prior to hospital discharge, and to explore possible related factors prior to hospital discharge that affected the QOL of lung cancer patients who received outpatient chemotherapy. Lung cancer inpatients who were scheduled for outpatient chemotherapy were assessed two times (prior to hospital discharge and during outpatient chemotherapy) using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. A total of 40 patients completed all assessments, both prior to hospital discharge and during outpatient chemotherapy. In the present study, QOL during outpatient chemotherapy was not significantly different when compared with the QOL prior to hospital discharge, and predictors prior to hospital discharge for a better QOL of patients during outpatient chemotherapy included better social, emotional and physical well-being. These results suggest that medical staff, in particular those involved in outpatient chemotherapy, need to recognize social and emotional as well as physical well-being prior to hospital discharge, regardless of cancer-related factors and the personal characteristics of the patients.