Focus on Cancer Pain at Home: A Prospective Study of Quality of Life and Its Influencing Factors on Patients

Abstract

Background and Aims: The treatment of patients with advanced cancer pain is mainly concentrated in the outpatient department, and most of the time in their family, these patients are easy to be ignored, To study the quality of life and its influencing factors of cancer pain patients at home is of great significance to improve the quality of life of patients. Meanwhile, it provides theoretical and practical basis for medical personnel to develop and implement individualized comprehensive intervention programs. Patients and Methods: According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 200 patients with cancer pain at home are selected to treat, and their quality of life conditions are observed before treatment, 1 week after treatment and 1 month after treatment, and their influencing factors are analyzed. Results: The patients’ scores of body function, emotional function, cognitive function and social function exist significant difference before and after treatment ( p < 0.01), the scores of role function and the overall evaluation scores before and after treatment , two stages after treatment exist significant difference ( p < 0.01), the symptoms scores of fatigue, pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting are significant differences before and after treatment ( p < 0.01); appetite loss score before a month and a week after treatment and treatment exists significant difference ( p < 0.01), the scores of constipation symptom before treatment and a month after treatment exist significant difference ( p < 0.01), only gender on cognitive function before treatment has significant difference ( p < 0.05) . One week after treatment, tumor staging and metastasis have impact on overall health evaluation, role function, cognitive function and emotional function (p < 0.05). The location of metastasis and the type of pain affect the role function and emotional function respectively (p < 0.05) . One month after treatment, age, metastasis, metastasis site and pain type have influence on cognitive function, emotional function, overall health evaluation and role function respectively (p < 0.05). The overall health status, body function, role function, emotional function, cognitive function and social function of the patients are lower than those of the Norwegian norm (p < 0.001). The symptoms of pain, appetite, constipation, nausea and vomiting are higher than those of the Norwegian norm before and after treatment (p < 0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between quality of life and total score of social support ( p < 0.01). Objective support and subjective support were positively correlated with quality of life (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Cognitive interventions should be individualized. The effectiveness of cancer treatment and the control of cancer recurrence and metastasis have influence on the quality of life of patients with cancer pain at home. Although the patients’ function indexes have been improved after treatment, there exist differences in the improvement after treatment. The symptoms of nausea, vomiting, pain and appetite should be intervened promptly. The management of symptoms such as dyspnea, fatigue, constipation should be focused persistently. Objective support and subjective support were the influencing factors of patients’ quality of life, t he construction of social support system should be strengthened, we should help them to overcome negative emotions, return to normal family and social roles, seek help in a positive manner and use support to improve the quality of life.