Quality of Life of Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy Treatment at a Leading Oncology Hospital in the Northern Region
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32635/2176-9745.RBC.2026v72n4.5664Keywords:
Neoplasms, Quality of life, Drug TherapyAbstract
Introduction: Cancer is a malignant neoplasm that is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Its treatment has always been a concern due to its biopsychosocial consequences and impacts on quality of life. Objective: To analyze the quality of life of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment at a reference institution in the North region of Brazil. Method: Descriptive, cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach, conducted in the Chemotherapy Sector between May and August 2025. The instrument used was a questionnaire administered in person, containing two sections: one aimed at obtaining general data about the participants and the other containing the Medical Outcome Severity Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). Results: Fifty-two cancer patients participated in the study. The quality-of-life scores for physical limitation and emotional limitation showed the lowest mean values (12.0 and 36.5, respectively). Regarding age, patients aged 60 to 77 years achieved better mean scores in emotional limitation and perception of general health status (51.9 and 67.5) compared with patients aged 20 to 39 years (16.7 and 52.0). In addition, patients undergoing treatment for more than 12 months did not present significantly different quality-of-life scores compared to those with a shorter treatment duration. Conclusion: Quality of life did not show a linear correlation with the time since cancer diagnosis in the studied sample, reinforcing the multifactorial and individual nature of this perception. Furthermore, older participants presented better scores regarding their subjective perceptions of quality of life.
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