Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study aims to observe the changes in quality of life as well as the anxiety among lung cancer patients before and after chemotherapy. This work also aims to explore the effect of chemotherapy on quality of life and anxiety. METHODS: Fifty-eight lung cancer patients were evaluated based on clinical outcomes, EORTC QLQ-C30, and on SAS questionnaires before chemotherapy, one week after two courses of chemotherapy, and one week after four courses of chemotherapy. RESULTS: Before chemotherapy, functioning scale, fatigue, and dyspnoea scores were high, the rate of anxiety was 56%, while the SAS score was 49.54±5.64. Anxiety was found to be positively correlated with insomnia (P<0.05). After two courses of chemotherapy, dyspnoea scores decreased, while insomnia and appetite loss scores increased. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The rate of anxiety was 80%, and the SAS score was 52.48±6.10. The difference was statistically significant compared with that before chemotherapy (P<0.05). The SAS scores of patients with disease history were higher than those of patients without disease history (P<0.05). SAS score was found to be positively correlated with fatigue and dyspnoea (P<0.05). After four courses of chemotherapy, the physical, role, emotional, and social function scores decreased, while the nausea and vomiting, appetite loss, constipation, and financial impact scores increased. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The anxiety rate was 72%, and the SAS score was 54.82±6.55. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The SAS score was negatively correlated with KPS (P<0.05), significantly positively correlated with fatigue and insomnia (P<0.01), and positively correlated with constipation (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A number of patients have experienced symptom relief, but during chemotherapy, the patients had significant anxiety. Thus, quality of life decreased. The quality of life and emotions of lung cancer patients should be evaluated, and positive psychological intervention should be given to improve quality of life.