QUALITY OF LIFE OF CANCER PATIENTS FOLLOWED IN THE MEDICAL ONCOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF A NATIONAL HOSPITAL CENTER OF SENEGAL AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS

Introduction: Faced with the highly aversive symptoms and incapacitating side effects of anticancer therapy, the assessment of patients' Quality of Life (QoL) is essential to better inform clinical decisions. Using a mixed design, the QoL of cancer patients followed in the medical oncology department of the Dalal Jamm University Hospital in Senegal was assessed, as well as the factors associated with it. Method: Data collected using the EORTC QLQ-C30 version 3.0 self-administered questionnaire were analyzed according to the guidelines of the "QLQ-C30 Scoring Manual" by calculating the average of the raw scores for each of the 30 items completed, then the Standardized Scores (SN) for the multi-item dimensions ranging from 0 to 100. To determine the overall QoL level of each respondent based on their SN, an assessment scale consisting of four different levels corresponding to four class intervals with an amplitude equal to 25 was proposed: SN € [0-25[ = QoL severely degraded; SN € [25-50[ = QoL degraded; SN € [50-75[ = QoL moderately degraded; SN € [75-100] = QoL slightly degraded. Finally, categorical variables were summarized in numbers and percentages and by calculating deviations from independence. Bivariate statistical analyzes (Chi-square test or Fisher's Exact test) were performed to verify the existence of a statistical dependence between socio-professional, demographic, clinical and therapeutic characteristics and the QoL of patients (P-value < 0.05 indicates a significant dependence). Results: 60 cancer patients (mean age = 54.42 years) were included in the study, 47% of whom were at SBR stage II of the cancerous disease. QoL was slightly degraded in 52% of the respondents, moderately degraded in 22%, degraded in 16% and significantly degraded in 10%. Disease stage (p=0.003), presence of metastases (p=0.004), location of metastases (p=0.004), curative chemotherapy (p=0.003), palliative chemotherapy (p=0.004), curative radiotherapy (p=0.003) and marital status (p=0.02) significantly influence their QoL. Discussions: Taking these factors into account could improve the QoL of cancer patients. Keywords : Quality of life; Cancer ; Dalal Jamm National Hospital Center; Senegal