Quality of Life in Adolescents with Cancer

There is no current universally accepted definition for quality of life (QOL). One source defined the concept of QOL as how an individual measures the goodness of different aspects of their life. These assessments include one’s emotional reactions to life events, disposition, sense of fulfillment, and satisfaction with personal relationships and work (Theofilou, 2013). Another definition encompasses the person’s level of functioning and overall satisfaction and well-being of their life (Lavdaniti & Tsitsis, 2015). QOL can be influenced by many factors, including physical health and certain disease processes. One disease in particular that can significantly affect one’s QOL is cancer. Cancer can be physically and psychologically wearing both during treatment and even in survivorship. In cancer survivors, QOL encompasses physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being (Lavdaniti & Tsitsis, 2015). A particularly vulnerable group of cancer patients that may struggle more with QOL, both during and after treatment, are adolescents. As survival rates increase for adolescents with cancer it is important to measure outcomes such as health related QOL (Russell, Hudson, Long, & Phipps, 2006). Paying attention to health related QOL in adolescent cancer survivors is relevant due to the number of adolescents diagnosed each year. Based on statistics from 2014, 10,380 children younger than 15 years old and 5,000 adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 will be diagnosed with cancer (America Society of Clinical Oncology, 2014). The aim of our literature review is to further explore the QOL of adolescents going through cancer treatment. Furthermore, we are determined to suggest strategies to improve this QOL based on reliable research. Through the literature, we will explore quality of life in general, effects of cancer on adolescent patients, both physically and psychologically, and examine which methods would be most beneficial in helping to improve an adolescent with cancer’s QOL. This information will be QUALITY OF LIFE IN ADOLESCENTS WITH CANCER 3 presented as the thesis project for the Lee Honors College for the researchers Alexis Guastella and Molly Ryan. Purpose and Background Information The purpose of this literature review is to determine the current research on QOL of adolescents going through cancer treatment and to establish effective techniques to improve it. This area is of importance to research because over 80% of pediatric oncology patients live at least five years after being diagnosed (National Cancer Institute, 2014). With that being said, they will be living longer and ultimately desire to live a satisfying and healthy life. It is known information that patients that are actively in treatment have a compromised QOL (Monteiro, Torres, Morgadinho, & Pereira, 2013). Cancer treatments are typically painful and psychologically weakening. These issues should be taken into consideration when measuring QOL. Factors that lead to low QOL of life include nausea, pain, anxiety, perceived physical appearance, worry, and fatigue (Hsu & Tu, 2013; Scarpelli et al., 2008). The focus of most health care providers is to treat the pain and physical side effects, while the psychological side effects are often overlooked. Rarely are oncology and hematology patients assessed for symptoms other than pain (Stromgren, Niemann, Tange, Farholt, Sonne, Ankersen, . & Kurita, 2014). Treating the patient holistically, both physically and psychologically, will lead to the best patient outcomes.