| Abstract: | The aim of the study was assessment of quality of life (QL) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated surgically or treated with both: neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery. We evaluated 200 NSCLC patients in I-IIIa stages. They were divided into 2 groups. Group 1-136 surgical only patients, group 2-64 patients treated with pre-operative chemotherapy, followed by surgery. Some of the patients from both groups required postoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy. We used QLQ-C30 and QLQ-LC13 questionnaires both made and used with permission of EORTC. Measurements were taken while patients were qualified for treatment, 10-15 days after surgery and 4 and 12 months after treatment. Additional measurements were taken after pre-operative chemotherapy in group 2. Global QL (noted during qualification for treatment) decreased significantly in early postoperative period, regardless the range of resection in both groups. There were also significant decrease in functioning, increase in disease symptoms and financial difficulties after operation. In course of time all parameters of QL were stabilised and after the year they were higher than before treatment. Pre-operative chemotherapy and post-operative radiotherapy had no significant influence on QL. This was observed among the patients treated with post-operative chemotherapy. The assessment of QL seems to be a more effective method of treatment evaluation, because it allows seeing the patient as a part of the society in which he is living. |
