Cancer pain and intensity of somatic symptoms and quality of life in cancer patients

The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between cancer pain and health related quality of life (HRQL) and patients’ functioning in the physical, emotional and social area as well as to assess the relationship between pain and intensity of other somatic symptoms.
Material and methods: The study included 61 adult in-patients (25 women and 36 men) of the Pain Clinic of Center of Oncology in Warsaw. Quality of Life (QoL) was measured using Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30). The pain was measured using Visual Analogue Scale and a shortened version of the Melzack’s questionnaire (AOP).
Results: The mean results demonstrate a high intensity of pain, the average level of objective QoL (the severity of somatic symptoms) and a low level of subjective QoL. The results show a negative correlation between pain and the subjective and objective QoL. The results of comparisons between groups of patients with higher and lower subjective quality of life in terms of functional areas of QoL, pain and intensity of somatic symptoms indicate that: the weaker the severity of cancer pain is, the better patients function physically and emotionally, and the lower the severity of their symptoms are, the better functioning in the physical, emotional, social areas is.
Conclusions: The results show that it is appropriate to expand the cancer patients’ care with psychological and social aspects to improve the quality of life of patients with cancer and, indirectly, to reduce the perceived severity of cancer pain.