Health-Related Predictors of Quality of Life in Cancer Patients in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Research on Saudi Arabian cancer patients is a priority at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Because there is limited research on the quality of life (QoL) of Saudi Arabian cancer patients, the aim of this study was to identify the predictors of the QoL in a sample of Saudis with cancer. In August 2016, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 438 patients with a variety of cancer types (145 breast, 109 colorectal, 38 leukemia, 45 lymphoma, and 99 other types) who attended the Oncology Outpatient Clinics at KAMC. Sociodemographics, clinical symptoms, and cancer treatments were collected for each patient. We used the SF-36 instrument to assess QoL. Of the cancer patients studied, 28.4% had a family history of cancer, and, according to subgroup analyses, the elderly, those lacking formal education, the unemployed, those diagnosed with Stage III/IV, and those with metastasis had significantly worse physical functions than the other cancer patients. According to multiple linear regression analyses, cancer patients who exercised regularly tended to have better physical function, emotional role function, vitality, social function, and general health (increase in SF-36 scores of 8.82, 9.75, 5.54, 6.66, and 4.97, respectively). Patients with first-year-after-cancer diagnosis tended to have poor emotional wellbeing, social function, and general health (decrease in SF-36 scores of 5.20, 7.34, and 6.12, respectively). Newly diagnosed cancer patients and patients who did not exercise tended to experience significantly poor QoL in several domains; thus, the effectiveness of exercise must be assessed in Saudi cancer patients as an intervention to improve QoL.

The effects of the combined exercise intervention based on internet and social media software (CEIBISMS) on quality of life, muscle strength and cardiorespiratory capacity in Chinese postoperative breast cancer patients:a randomized controlled trial

“…The enhancement in vitality suggested that internet-based diversified exercise interventions can improve the subjective perception of BC patients toward vitality and fatigue. Since the sense of fatigue is common among postoperative survivors of BC [32,33], the improvement of vitality has important implications for the enhancement of their QOL [34][35][36]. Patients with BC usually have psychosocial problems due to illness and disability caused by the surgery [37,38].…”

Associated factors for oral health problems in a sample of Saudi cancer patients

“… 2 Incidentally, the burden of cancer is also increasing in Saudi Arabia reaching a total of 15,807 new cases reported in the year 2014 3 and potentially affecting the quality of life of patients. 4 …”

Psychological symptoms in adult Saudi Arabian cancer patients: prevalence and association with self-rated oral health

“… 7 , 8 In Saudi Arabia, due to a wide array of national screening programs and diagnosis of new cancer cases at an early stage, 9 the survival rate among cancer patients continues to increase. 10 This necessitates routine assessment and intervention among cancer survivors to maintain quality of life 11 , 12 and better health management and outcomes. 13 …”