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Quality of life among survivors of early-stage cervical cancer in Taiwan: an exploration of treatment modality differences

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Abstract

Purpose

Women with early-stage cervical cancer may experience changes in their quality of life (QoL) due to treatment or to the effects of the cancer. In this study, we examined differences in QoL by treatment modality between women who underwent surgery only and those treated with concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT).

Methods

The sample of 290 women had been diagnosed with stage I–II cervical cancer. Data were collected on these women’s demographic and disease characteristics, general QoL, and cancer-specific QoL using an author-designed demographic-disease survey, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QoL questionnaire, and the Taiwanese-version Cervical Cancer Module 24 questionnaire, respectively. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and analysis of covariance.

Results

Women with cervical cancer who underwent surgery only had significantly worse constipation and body image than those treated with CCRT. Women who underwent CCRT had worse physical and role functioning than those who underwent surgery only. Women who had CCRT also reported worse symptoms, such as fatigue, appetite loss, diarrhea, financial difficulties, sexual enjoyment, and sexual/vaginal functioning, than those who had only surgery.

Conclusions

Our results add knowledge about QoL in women with early-stage cervical cancer who receive different treatment modalities. When suggesting treatment modalities for women with cervical cancer, health professionals should also consider changes in women’s QoL after cancer treatment. To improve women’s QoL after treatment, professionals should also offer timely and individualized interventions based on women’s cervical cancer treatment.

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Acknowledgements

This study was support by the Ministry of Science and Technology (NMRPD1C0092) and LinKou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (BMRPD37A). All authors sincerely thank all participants for generously sharing their experiences in this study.

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  1. Chia-Chun Li

    Present address: School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, No. 259, Wenhua 1st Rd., Guishan Township, Taoyuan County 333, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, No. 259, Wenhua 1st Rd., Guishan Township, Taoyuan County 333, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan

    Yun-Fang Tsai

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, LinKou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan

    Chia-Chun Li & Ting-Chang Chang

  3. College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan

    Ting-Chang Chang

  4. School of Nursing, University of Maryland at Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Lynn Chen

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  1. Chia-Chun Li
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Correspondence to Chia-Chun Li.

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Li, CC., Chang, TC., Tsai, YF. et al. Quality of life among survivors of early-stage cervical cancer in Taiwan: an exploration of treatment modality differences. Qual Life Res 26, 2773–2782 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-017-1619-0

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