2014 Volume 28 Issue 3 Pages 5-12
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between symptom experience and quality of life （QOL） in cancer outpatients receiving molecular targeted therapy. Participants were 29 cancer outpatients （mean age：63.9 years） receiving anti‒EGFR targeted therapy. Data were collected from a self‒administered questionnaire and the patients’ medical records. The questionnaire included items on the patient’s background, symptom experience （symptom severity and symptom interference items from the Japanese version of the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory, and skin symptom severity items）, and QOL （Quality of Life Questionnaire for Cancer Patients Treated with Anticancer Drugs；QOL‒ACD）.
Data analyses clarified the relationship between symptom experience and QOL in cancer outpatients. Significant inverse correlations were observed between：“symptom severity items” and four QOL subscales ［Daily‒life activities（rs＝－.75；p＜.01）, Physical condition（rs＝－.58；p＜.01）, Psychological condition（rs＝－.44；p＜.05）, Social attitude（rs＝－.47；p＜.05）］；“symptom interference items” and the zd scale（ rs＝－.43；p＜.05）, and four QOL subscales ［Daily‒life activities （rs＝－.78；p＜.01）, Physical condition（rs＝－.56；p＜.01）, Psychological condition（rs＝－.64； p＜.01）, Social attitude（rs＝－.55；p＜.01）］；“skin symptom severity items” and two QOL subscales ［Daily‒life activities（rs＝－.54；p＜.05）, Physical condition（rs＝－.60；p＜.01）］.
These findings suggest the importance of providing continued symptom management for cancer outpatients receiving molecular targeted therapy in order to improve their QOL.
