Symptom Experience, Social Support, and Quality of Life in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies Undergoing Chemotherapy

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify symptom experience, social support, quality of life (QOL), and the influencing factors on QOL of patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 118 patients diagnosed with hematologic malignancies undergoing chemotherapy who visited an outpatient clinic in the Gyeonggi province. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G), MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were used to assess predictors and QOL. The data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation, t- test, ANOVA, and hierarchical multiple regression. Results: The mean score of QOL was (69.32 +/- 14.34). The type of hematologic malignancies and patient's occupation were significantly associated with QOL in terms of demographic and disease/treatment-related characteristics. Symptom severity and symptom influence, and the support of family, friends, and medical staff had a significant association with QOL. The regression analyses showed that symptom severity (beta=-41, p<.001), friend support (beta=.27, p=.001), and occupation (beta=.14, p=.034) were significantly associated with QOL. Conclusion: The variables of symptom experience and social support must be acknowledged when improving QOL of hematologic malignancy patients undergoing chemotherapy. Greater focus on the reduction of symptom severity and increasing friend support could improve QOL among hematologic malignancy patients.