Unemployment and health-related quality of life in melanoma patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: A web-based cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background The outbreak of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) ineluctably caused social distancing and unemployment, which may bring additional health risks for patients with cancer. To investigate the association of the pandemic-related impacts with the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with melanoma during the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted a cross-sectional study among Chinese patients with melanoma. Methods A self-administered online questionnaire was distributed to melanoma patients through social media. Demographic and clinical data, and pandemic-related impacts (unemployment and income loss) were collected. HRQoL was determined by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) and its disease-specific module (the melanoma subscale, MS). Results A total of 70 patients with melanoma completed the study. The mean age of the patients was 55.2 ± 14.8 years, 45.7% (32/70) were male, and 21.4% (15/70) were unemployed since the epidemic. Unemployment of the patients and their family members and income loss were significantly associated with a lower FACT-G score, while the MS score was associated with the unemployment of the patients’ family members. Conclusions Our findings suggested that unemployment is associated with impaired HRQoL in melanoma patients during the COVID-19 epidemic.

The Relationship between Coronavirus Anxiety, Mindfulness and Spiritual Health in Patients with Cancer: A Survey in Southeast Iran

“…8 In the COVID-19 epidemic, cancer patients are at greater risk for health-related quality of life (HRQoL) problems, anxiety, and mental and physical stress. 9 COVID-19 anxiety can influence cancer patients' decision on seeking and continuing treatment. Cancer patients face many challenges and anxious situations in the prevalence of COVID-19 disease, which lead to non-referral to hospitals and follow-up treatment, 10 and the possibility of canceling appointments at the oncology/hematology clinic.…”