Assessment of quality of life (QOL) in cancer patients attending oncology unit of a Teaching Hospital in Bangladesh

BACKGROUND: The quality of life (QoL) of a cancer patient is their perception of their physical, functional, psychological, and social well‐being. QoL is one of the most important factors to consider when treating someone with cancer and during follow‐up. The aim of this study was to understand the state of QoL among cancer patients in Bangladesh and to determine the factors that affect it. METHODS: This cross‐sectional study was conducted on 210 cancer patients who attended the oncology unit of Delta Medical College & Hospital, Dhaka during the period between 1 May 2022 and 31 August 2022. Data were collected using the Bengali version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) questionnaire. RESULTS: The study reported a high number of female cancer patients (67.6%), who were married, Muslims by religion, and non‐residents of Dhaka. Breast cancer was more common among women (31.43%), while lung and upper respiratory tract cancer was more prevalent among men (19.05%). The majority of the patients (86.19%) were diagnosed with cancer in the past year. The overall mean score for functional scales was higher for physical functioning (54.92) whereas it was lower for social functioning (38.89). The highest score on the symptom scale was for financial problems (63.02), while the lowest was for diarrhea (33.01). The overall QoL score of cancer patients in the study was 47.98 and it was lower for males (45.71) compared to females (49.10). CONCLUSIONS: The overall QoL was poor among Bangladeshi cancer patients compared to those in developed countries. A low QoL score was observed for social and emotional functions. Financial difficulty was the main reason behind the lower QoL score on the symptom scale.