부산대학교 도서관

Consequences of cancer pain on the patient's emotional status and quality of life has been the object of recent research. The study was carried out in order to explore this field in homebound cancer patients. Eightly-six advanced cancer patients (50 males and 36 females) followed by the Oncology Home Care Service participated in the study. All the patients completed the Hospital Anxiety Depression scale (HAD) and the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30 (QLQ). Pain was also evaluated by the oncologist by asking the patients about the presence and intensity of the symptom. Intensity of pain (QLQ-item 9) and interference of pain with daily life (QLQ item 19) were significantly associated with HAD-Anxiety (r=.25, P=0.03; r=.21, P=0.03), HAD-Depression (r=.22, P=0.03; r=.23, P=0.03), emotional stress (QLQ-Emotional factor r=.28, P<0.01; r=.32, P<0.001) and poor QL (QLQ-Global factor r=.35, P<0.01; r=.37, P<0.01). Similarly, patients with pain had significantly higher scores on HAD-Depression (10.45±4.1) in comparison with patients not reporting pain (8.47±4.3). The study confirms the importance of a correct pain treatment to reduce emotional distress in homebound cancer patients in an advanced stage of illness.