Quality of life and psychological distress of patients with advanced cancer in the Philippines

PurposeThis study aimed to describe the quality of life (QOL) and psychological distress (anxiety and depression) of Filipino patients with advanced solid cancers and identify sociodemographic and clinical-related factors associated with them.Methods195 patients with advanced cancer were recruited from a major hospital treating cancer patients in the Philippines. Participants completed self-reported surveys on Quality-of-life (QOL-FACT-G) and psychological distress (HADS-D, HADS-A). Multi-variable OLS regression models were performed where sociodemographic, health history and clinical characteristics were included as predictors.ResultsThe average total FACT-G score was 65.39/108 (Standard deviation (SD) = 13.76), with the physical well-being scale having the lowest scores (M = 14.14/28, SD = 5.92). The two most common symptoms reported were fatigue (88%) and pain (86.5%). Physical symptom burden was significantly negatively associated with QOL and psychological distress. The average HADS-total score was 14.46/21 (SD = 5.77), with 8% with probable anxiety and 27% with probable depression. Participants who reported greater reliance on their spiritual faith for strength in coping with illness reported lower depression scores.ConclusionsOur findings underline the importance of understanding the multi-dimensional outcomes of Filipino advanced cancer patients. Results may be used to improve QOL and reduce the psychological distress of advanced cancer patients.