Perspectives on the impact of ovarian cancer: women's views of quality of life

Abstract

Purpose/objectives: To describe quality-of-life (QOL) concerns particular to women with ovarian cancer and to examine whether subgroups of patients with ovarian cancer have significantly different QOL concerns.

Design: Mailed survey.

Sample: Readership of an ovarian cancer newsletter.

Methods: A total of 1,383 surveys were received in response to the survey's inclusion in the November 2002 issue of Conversations! The International Newsletter for Those Fighting Ovarian Cancer, a monthly newsletter circulated to 3,300 women with ovarian cancer (response rate = 42%). Women were asked to complete the 45-item City of Hope QOL Ovarian Cancer Tool (QOL-OVCA) and a short demographic questionnaire.

Main research variables: Patients' QOL-OVCA scores were compared across six independent variables, including disease status, age at diagnosis, stage at diagnosis, marital status, household income, and use of alternative therapy, controlling for survival time.

Findings: Ovarian cancer survivors reported significant QOL concerns across dimensions of physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being.

Conclusions: Patients with ovarian cancer experience particular QOL concerns requiring support. Future research is needed to describe the needs of survivors in more diverse populations and to develop and test interventions that can address these QOL concerns.

Implications for nursing: Women with ovarian cancer experience QOL concerns common to other patients with cancer and some that are particular to ovarian cancer. Nurses should assess for and aggressively address these QOL concerns.