Do Clinical and Demographic Features of Patients with Upper-Gastrointestinal Cancer Affect their Health-related Quality of Life?

BACKGROUND: Oesophagogastric (OG) cancer as a globally common and deadly malignancy, which is widely spread in Northeast Iran, has an extensive impact on health-related quality of life (HRQL). Demographic and histopathologic changes have been apparent in oesophagogastric cancer, therefore. HRQL could be used, as an outcome, to assess and determine the efficacy and impact of cancer care. METHODS: A consecutive sample of upper-gastrointestinal cancer patients admitted to the main oncology/ radiotherapy departments in the North-East of Iran were recruited into the study. All participants completed the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OG25questionnaires in a face to face interview. RESULTS: Of the total 275 patients participated in the study, 54% had oesophageal, 34% stomach and 12% OG junction cancers. About 73.1% had TNM (tumour, node, metastasis) staging; of which 69% were in stage III and IV. The most common type of cancer in oesophagus was Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) (95.3%) in lower third, Adenocarcinoma in stomach (97.8%) and in the OG junction (93.8%). Patients with stomach or OG junction tended more to present in higher stages (P < 0.001). Unlike QLQ-C30, the EORTC QLQ-OG25 was able to differ patients significantly in anxiety scale (P = 0.01), body image, chocking and weight loss (P < 0.05). Those who had self care ability had better quality of life scores (P < 0.001) in more scales and items. CONCLUSION: SCC is predominant type of upper GI cancer in Khorasan provinces similar to the high risk area in Northern Iran. The specific health-related quality of life tool (EORTC QLQ-OG25) was able to distinguish most of the symptoms in patients with upper GI cancer.