Quality of life for women treated for ovarian cancer

Introduction
To assess the quality of life of patients treated for ovarian cancer with regard to mental state, according to the Beck Depression Inventory, and to assess the impact of selected sociodemographic factors on the quality of life of ovarian cancer patients.

Material and methods
As a control group, 100 women with confirmed diagnosis of ovarian cancer and 100 healthy women were qualified for the study. The study used the standardised questionnaires EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OV28. The Beck Depression Inventory was used to assess the presence and severity of depression symptoms. In addition, a self-created survey was used to collect sociodemographic data.

Results
In the studied population, 56% of patients and 78% of healthy women showed no depressive symptoms. Features of mild depression were found in 30% of patients and in 15% of healthy controls. Higher quality of life was demonstrated by inhabitants of small towns, professionally active people, and with higher education. In contrast, retired women, widows, and divorced patients presented a worse quality of life.

Conclusions
In the area of mental state, women treated for ovarian cancer were significantly more likely to experience depression. Higher quality of life was demonstrated in women treated for ovarian cancer, who did not experience depression. Sociodemographic conditions predisposed to intensified symptoms, worsening the quality of life of patients treated for ovarian cancer, which prompted individual assessment of the therapeutic process and the implementation of psychological care.