Study On The Quality Of Life In Patients With Gastric Cancer And Its Influencing Factors

ObjectiveTo investigate changes and to explore the factors affecting the quality of life after surgery in patients with gastric cancer during one year postoperatively. In order to provide scientific evidence for clinical staff to provide the targeted treatment and care interventions.MethodsConvenience sampling method was employed to recruit90gastric cancer patients who underwent curative gastrectomy between August,2011and August,2013at a general surgery department of a Tianjin first class hospital. All patients had no evidence of recurrence or metastasis during the first postoperative year. The instruments included general demographic data questionnaire, clinical disease data questionnaire, the Chinese version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of life Questionnaire Core (EORTC QLQ-C30).They were used to evaluate patients’quality of life and the affecting factors preoperatively,3,6,12months postoperatively. After the data was collected completely, SPSS17.0statistical software were used for data analysis. General information were analyzed by frequency or percentage statistical description. The distribution of the measurment data was described by mean and stander deviation. The differences among four stages used of one way ANOVA. Univariate analysis of the factors affecting quality of life, the significance of the differences between or among groups were tested by two independent sample T test and one way ANOVA. Multivariate analysis of the factors affecting quality of life were used of multiple step wise linear regression analysis.Results(1) The scores of functioning scales, symptom scales and sub-symptom scales were significantly fluctuate in3months after surgery (P<0.05). The difference between6-12months scores and preoperative score were not statistically significant (P>0.05).(2) Global health status with the lowest score at3months (P=0.000). There were statistically significant differences compared to preoperative score after the following months (P＜0.05).(3) The multiple stepwise linear regression analysis of the factors affecting the quality of life showed a statistically significant in preopertaive were age, education level, family income, marital status, medical payment (P<0.05). The statistically significance factors in3months after surgery were age, education level, family income, marital status, medical payment, operation type, TNM stages, combined organ resection and chemotherapy (P＜0.05). In6months were age, family income, marital status, medical payment, operation type, TNM stages, combined organ resection and chemotherapy (P<0.05). In12months were age, family income, medical payment, operation type, TNM stages, combined organ resection (P<0.05).Conclusions(1) Quality of life about gastric cancer patients who underwent curative gastrectomy was worst in3months. Then gradually improved, It basically returned to normal by1year period.(2) There were many factors affecting the quality of life in gastric cancer patients. Before operation the main influencing factors were demographic data. After the operation, the factors were both demographic and clinical disease data. However, age, family income, medical payment, operation type, TNM stages, combined organ resection were always affecting the postoperative stages.(3) Different stages had different quality of life issues and affecting factors. It is necessary for medical staff to take appropriate medical treatment and health care interventions to improve gastric cancer patients’ quality of life.