Quality of life of parents with children living at home: when one parent has cancer

GOALS OF WORK: This study examined the quality of life (QoL) of cancer patients diagnosed 1–5 years previously and their spouses, with children 4–18 years living at home. Relationships between parents’ QoL and the children’s functioning were explored. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 166 cancer patients and their spouses provided information on their QoL (RAND-36) and on their children’s functioning (Child Behavior Checklist). MAIN RESULTS: Male and female patients scored similarly to a norm population on five domains. Patients’ QoL was clinically relevantly and/or statistically lower on social functioning, role limitations because of physical problems, and vitality than the norm. Male spouses’ QoL was comparable to the norm. However, female spouses reported better physical functioning but more social problems. QoL varied according to type of cancer, treatment intensity, and recurrence. Using the QoL composite scores, a significant relationship was found between patients’ psychosocial and physical functioning and spouses’ psychosocial functioning. Patients’ psychosocial functioning correlated moderately strongly to weakly with their reports of their younger children’s and adolescents’ functioning; physical functioning correlated only weakly with adolescents’ functioning. The patients’ functioning related weakly to moderately strongly to adolescents’ self-reports of functioning. Spouses’ psychosocial functioning weakly related to their and adolescents’ reports of adolescents’ functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Cancer patients’ QoL 1–5 years after diagnosis was decreased in three of eight domains; their spouses seem to be doing well. Parents’ physical and psychosocial functioning related weakly to moderately strongly to their children’s functioning, depending on the child’s age and information source. The patients’ functioning related more strongly to the children’s functioning than the spouses’ did.