Factors Predicting the Health Status of Women with Ovarian Cancer During Five Treatment Phases.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The combined impact of disease status and treatment phase on the quality of life (QoL) of women with ovarian cancer has not been fully considered. Therefore, this clinical, epidemiologic study compared the QoL of patients with ovarian cancer between five different treatment phases and identified the factors predicting their QoL through multivariate modeling. DATA SOURCES This study had a cross-sectional survey design. The participants total of 183 were recruited from the inpatient and outpatient departments of the medical center in northern Taiwan. QoL was measured using the Quality of Life Scales QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OV28 and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The patient's clinical characteristics data were obtained from the databank of the Taiwan Gynecologic Cancer Network, a registry of active patients being treated with gynecologic cancer. CONCLUSION: Chemotherapeutic agents were the major predictors of poor global health status in patients with ovarian cancer. However, good sleep was beneficial to patients' QoL. The study results can be used as a reference to adjust oncological treatment regimens for more effective symptom management and to promote patient education to improve patients' QoL. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE The predicting factors can be considered by physicians and nurses to adjust treatment regimens and enhance patient education.