RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Considering the high survival rates of childhood cancers and their stable incidence, concepts such as quality of life (QOL) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are impactful issues that have consistently retained their importance worldwide. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate HRQOL at least 5 years after treatment in childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) with the hypothesis that their QOL could be adversely affected later in their lives. Additionally, we sought to assess the parents of pediatric CCSs with respect to HRQOL. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated CCSs aged 8-18 years and compared the results with healthy controls (matched for age and sex). The parents of the pediatric CCSs and control groups were also analyzed. A total of 174 cases (patients and controls) and 168 parents (of patients and controls) were included in the study. HRQOL was evaluated by applying the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). RESULTS: The mean HRQOL scores of CCSs were significantly lower than those of the controls (p= 0.04). No differences were found between the parents of these groups. The physical and social functionality scores of CCSs were significantly lower when compared to healthy controls (p = 0.02 and p<0.01, respectively). In addition, according to cancer type, the HRQOL scores of those with solid tumors were found to be significantly lower than those with hematological cancers (p=0.02).(p = 0.02) CONCLUSION: This study shows that HRQOL is lower in CCSs compared to healthy controls. The most important differences in HRQOL among CCSs were found in the physical and social subdimensions compared to the controls. In this regard, it appears to be vital to provide mental support to CCSs after cancer treatment. These findings also indicate the need for health-focused social policies that can increase HRQOL in CCSs.