An assessment of quality of life following external beam radiotherapy treatment in Malta

Abstract

A Maltese person is expected to receive a cancer diagnosis every five hours, according to the country's national cancer plan. Quality of life (QoL) is a multidimensional concept that encompasses the ability to participate in daily activities that promote physical, psychological, and social well-being and the level of satisfaction individuals feel regarding their functioning and how they manage their illness. Patients undergoing radiotherapy may experience various psychological challenges that can adversely impact their QoL. In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the significance of QoL as a crucial component in evaluating treatments. The research aimed to evaluate the quality of life scores of the patients who have completed their external beam radiotherapy treatment S5657 RTT - Patient experience and quality of life ESTRO 2024 (EBRT) treatment and to determine the prescience of correlations amongst patient variables including sociodemographic factors such as age, marital status, co-morbidities, or gender may influence quality of life scores. The study further determined which categories of patients are most at risk for developing poor quality of life after EBRT treatment. [excerpt]