Quality of life of older adults diagnosed with cancer in Palestine: A cross sectional study

Abstract

The majority of new cancer diagnoses and cancer deaths occur in the elderly making cancer primarily a disease of older adults. Due to the heterogeneous ageing process and complications resulting from therapy and toxicity, the treatment of older patients with cancer remains challenging. The current study aims to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of cancer patients over the age of 60 and identify the factors associated with QOL in Palestine.  A cross-sectional and descriptive design was employed for this study. The sample included 136 older patients with cancer attending hospitals in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.  Data were collected between June and July 2022 using self-reported questionnaires, including socio-demographic data and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General (FACT-G). Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with QOL. The age of patients ranged from 60 to 90 years (mean 66.62 years, SD ± 5.46) of which 64.7% (n=88) were females, and 35.3% (n=48) were males. More than half of the participants (64.7%, n=88) had good QOL whereas 35.3% (n=48) had poor QOL. The overall QOL of participants was reported as 2.34 (SD = 0.47), which indicates a good QOL. The highest mean score was found in the social and family well-being domain (2.93 ± 0.76) followed by the physical well-being (2.31 ± 0.82). The difference was significant for functional well-being (t= -2.86, P=.005). Gender was significantly associated with the QOL. Males were about 0.40 times more likely to have lower QOL than females (OR: 0.40; 95 CI%: 0.20-0.98; P = 0.04). In contrast, no significant associations were found for the other factors. A deeper understanding of older patients' QOL and its predictors is essential for comprehending the issues facing the ageing population, and being aware of these variables may be useful for establishing programs to promote QOL.