Predictors of quality of life in breast cancer patients under chemotherapy

Background: Today, the quality of life studies has an important role in health care especially in chronic diseases. Breast cancer has third order among women\u2032s malignancies. Now, survival rate for this cancer is long. However breast cancer has several complications that affected the patient\u2032s life. Aims : The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life in Breast cancer patients under chemotherapy. Setting and Design: A cross-sectional study conducted on 119 breast cancer patients that were admitted and treated in chemotherapy ward of Namazi hospital in Shiraz city, south of Iran, between Jan and Feb 2006. Materials and Methods: The QLQ-C30 questionnaire was used to assess quality of life in these patients. Statistical Analysis: We used univariate methods. A multiple regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of quality of life. Results: Mean age of patients was 48.27\ub111.42 with quality of life total score 64.92\ub124.28. All symptoms scales had reverse association with quality of life except appetite loss (P>0.05) and diarrhea (P=0.752). The results of the regression analyses showed that only grade of tumor, occupational status, menopausal status, financial difficulties and dyspnea were statistically significant in predicting patients\u2032 quality of life. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study demonstrates the strength of the relationship between clinical and sociodemographical factors and breast cancer patients\u2032 quality of life. Psychological and financial support for women experiencing breast cancer diagnosis may improve quality of life

Predictors of quality of life in breast cancer patients under chemotherapy

Background: Today, the quality of life studies has an important role in health care especially in chronic diseases. Breast cancer has third order among women′s malignancies. Now, survival rate for this cancer is long. However breast cancer has several complications that affected the patient′s life. Aims : The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life in Breast cancer patients under chemotherapy. Setting and Design: A cross-sectional study conducted on 119 breast cancer patients that were admitted and treated in chemotherapy ward of Namazi hospital in Shiraz city, south of Iran, between Jan and Feb 2006. Materials and Methods: The QLQ-C30 questionnaire was used to assess quality of life in these patients. Statistical Analysis: We used univariate methods. A multiple regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of quality of life. Results: Mean age of patients was 48.27±11.42 with quality of life total score 64.92±24.28. All symptoms scales had reverse association with quality of life except appetite loss (P>0.05) and diarrhea (P=0.752). The results of the regression analyses showed that only grade of tumor, occupational status, menopausal status, financial difficulties and dyspnea were statistically significant in predicting patients′ quality of life. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study demonstrates the strength of the relationship between clinical and sociodemographical factors and breast cancer patients′ quality of life. Psychological and financial support for women experiencing breast cancer diagnosis may improve quality of life

Family History as a Risk for Upper Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer: A Case Control Study

Abstract Background: Although, family history of cancer is an important risk factor for upper gastrointestinal cancers development, but limited information is available on the upper gastrointestinal cancers associated with family history in Iran. The purpose of this study was to define upper gastrointestinal cancers risk associated with family history of cancer

Survival analysis in gastric cancer: A multi-center study among Iranian patients

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) has been considered as the 5th most common type of cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-associated death worldwide. The aim of this historical cohort study was to evaluate the survival predictors for all patients with GC using the Cox proportional hazards, extended Cox, and gamma-frailty models. Methods: This historical cohort study was performed according to documents of 1695 individuals having GC referred to three medical centers in Iran from 2001 to 2018. First, most significant prognostic risk factors on survival were selected, Cox proportional hazards, extended Cox, gamma-frailty models were applied to evaluate the effects of the risk factors, and then these models were compared with the Akaike information criterion. Results: The age of patients, body mass index (BMI), tumor size, type of treatment and grade of the tumor increased the hazard rate (HR) of GC patients in both the Cox and frailty models (P < 0.05). Also, the size of the tumor and BMI were considered as time-varying variables in the extended Cox model. Moreover, the frailty model showed that there is at least an unknown factor, genetic or environmental factors, in the model that is not measured (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Some prognostic factors, including age, tumor size, the grade of the tumor, type of treatment and BMI, were regarded as indispensable predictors in patients of GC. Frailty model revealed that there are unknown or latent factors, genetic and environmental factors, resulting in the biased estimates of the regression coefficients. © 2020 The Author(s)

A Comparison Between Cox Proportional Hazard Models And Logistic Regression On Prognostic Factors In Gastric Cancer

Background: Despite its decreasing prevalence in industrialized nations, gastric cancer remains one of the most frequent cancers in the world. Since stomach cancer often was not detected until an advanced state, survival rate was rather low. Aim: The aim of the present study is to compare the Cox proportional hazard model and Logistic regression model to estimate prognostic of patients with gastric cancer.Material and methods: To determine the independent prognostic factors reducing survival time for gastric cancer, we compared the parametric methods (logistic regression) and non-parametric methods (Cox proportional hazard models) applied to patients who registeredin one cancer registry center located in southern Iran.Results: Of 442, 266 (60.2 %) died. In multivariate analyses using the Cox proportional hazard model, Age at diagnosis (P = 0.018, Hazardrate= 1.84), grade of tumor (P = 0.018, Hazard rate=1.56), and metastasis (P = 0.004, Hazard rate=1.53) were the most independentprognostic factors. As well as, using the stepwise logistic regression model, Age at diagnosis, (P = 0.005, Odds Ratio=1.01), grade of tumor(P=0.025, OR=1.95), and metastasis (

Reliability and Validity of the QLQ-C30 Questionnaire in Cancer Patients

Introduction & Objective: Recently, it has been recognized that a more comprehensive assessment of the cancer patient is necessary and that the evaluation of outcomes must move beyond traditional biomedical endpoints to include assessments of the impact of disease and its treatment on patients' quality of life. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer has developed a 30-item quality of life questionnaire to obtain information about the impact of disease and treatment on the daily living of cancer patients. This questionnaire was translated into many languages and used in various countries. But, validity and reliability of version 3.0 has not yet been checked for use with Iranian patients. The aims of the present study are to evaluate the reliability and validity of the QLQ-C30 (version 3.0) questionnaire. Materials & Methods: We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study on 132 random samples of breast cancer patients for determination of validity and reliability of QLQ-C30 (version 3.0) questionnaire. The questionnaire was completed for all patients that referred to chemotherapy ward in Namazi Hospital, Shiraz, during 19 Dec 2005 -19 Feb 2006. Reliability was evaluated through the internal consistency of multi-item subscales. Pearson’s correlations of an item with its own scale (corrected for overlap) and other scales were calculated to evaluate convergent and discriminate validity. Clinical validity was evaluated by known-group comparisons using ANOVA and Kruskal Wallis tests. Data were then analyzed with SPSS software. Results: In the reliability analysis, most scales fitted the criteria (Alpha>0.70) except the fatigue, pain, nausea and vomiting scales. Convergent validity was evidenced by item own subscale correlation above 0.40 for all multi-item subscales. Item discriminate validity was successful in all analyses except for item 4 of the physical functioning scale. Results of the known group based analysis show significant differences in QLQ-C30 functioning and symptom scores, where patients with higher grade have the worst (p<0.05). Conclusion: Iranian version of EORTC QLQC30 is a reliable and valid QOL measure for cancer patients which indicate that it can be used in clinical and epidemiological cancer studies

Heartburn and related factors in general population in Tehran, Capital of Iran

Background: Heartburn is a highly prevalent disorder and is one of the most common gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms encountered in clinical practice. Despite the increasing importance of the early diagnosis of heartburn, there are few studies available on the prevalence of the disease and its symptoms. The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of heartburn in the Iranian adult population and analyze its associations with possible confounding factors. Material and Methods: This study was designed as an epidemiological, cross-sectional and population based study that was conducted during May to December 2006 in Firoozkou city of Iran. Participants were interviewed by using a questionnaire which included sociodemographic, health relevant life style and clinical factors and GI symptoms. Statistical analysis was performed by using chi-square test and logistic regression model. Results: The frequency of heartburn was 28% and is different between men and women (

Survival In Gastric Cancer Patients: Univariate And Multivariate Analysis

Background and Aim: Cancer for a long time has been recognized as a fatal disease. Thus it is known to be major health problem in many countries throughout the world. In recent years, cancer morbidity and mortality increased in our country and especially gastric cancer hassecond order among all cancers. The aim of this study was to analysis the survival of patients diagnosed with gastric cancer and the factorswhich modify prognosis.Methods: Retrospective study of overall patients diagnosed with gastric cancer registered in the cancer registry center of Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Disease (RCGLD), Shahid Beheshti  University,M.C, Tehran, Iran, between Dec. 2001 and Dec. 2006 wasdone. Survival status of patients was followed by the telephone contact. The Kaplan-Meier statistical method was employed to determinethe probability of survival and log-rank test to compare those. Cox regression was used to determine prognosis factors.

Epidemiology and histopathological features of esophageal cancer

Introduction: Esophageal cancer is the 6th most common cause of cancer death in the world. During the past two decades some changes have occurred in histologic type and primary tumor location in some parts of the world but there is a little information about histopathological aspect of disease in Iran. The purpose of the present study was to clarify the  features of histopathological of esophageal cancer in Iran.Methods: This study designed as a cross sectional study. Data analysis was performed with descriptive and univariate methods. Information required for this study extracted from cancer registry forms. The cases were all patients who received a histopathological diagnosis of EC that were referred to this center from January 2003 to October 2008.Results: A total of 264 EC cases were recruited in the study the lower third of the esophagus was the most frequent site of origin of these tumors. Squamus cell carcinoma was commonest histologic type of tumor. In 15.2% of cases tumor was metastasis to other organs. In 46.6% were in advanced stage at diagnosis.Discussion: Based on result of present study, esophageal cancer in our  country more presented in Squamus cell carcinoma histology type, in advanced stage. Since Squamus cell carcinoma have a poorer prognosis and given that these patients have vague symptomatology for approximately several months, therefore, early diagnosis and treatment led to better prognosis.Keywords: Esophageal cancer, Histology, Pathology, Squamus cell carcinoma, Epidemiolog