Impact of chemotherapy treatment on the quality of life of patients with cancer

Objective: To assess the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with cancer before and three months after starting chemotherapy treatment. Methods: This is a prospective and exploratory cohort study. An instrument was used for sociodemographic and clinical characterization of patients and another for assessing HRQoL called EORTC QLQ-C30. This instrument consists of functional, symptom, and global health status scales. Seventy-nine individuals attended at an outpatient clinic for chemotherapy. Statistical tests were performed to compare side effects of chemotherapy treatment on quality of life. Results: The EORTC QLQ-C30 indicated adequate reliability in two assessment moments. Concerning the functional scale, physical functioning and cognitive functioning improved, and emotional functioning worsened after three months of treatment. The symptom scale worsened three months after starting chemotherapy with respect to the symptoms of fatigue, nausea, dyspnea, appetite loss, and diarrhea. Conclusion: The most affected domains, after three months of chemotherapy treatment, were related to functional and symptom scales' functioning; therefore, multidisciplinary interventions should be implemented for this population in order to control such variables.