Predictors of quality of life in patients with skin melanoma at the dermatology department of the Porto Alegre Teaching Hospital

• Published in: Anais brasileiros de dermatología 2011-03, Vol.86 (2), p.249-256
• Main Authors: Barbato, Mariana Tremel, Bakos, Lucio, Bakos, Renato Marchiori, Prieb, Rita, Andrade, Cláudia Dickel de
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; por
• Subjects: Cross-Sectional Studies; Educational Status; Female; Hospitals, Teaching; Humans; Male; Melanoma - psychology; Middle Aged; Predictive Value of Tests; Quality of Life - psychology; Sickness Impact Profile; Skin Neoplasms - psychology; Socioeconomic Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 1806-4841
• DOI: 10.1590/S0365-05962011000200007

Some symptoms present in melanoma patients are directly related to psychological stress, which emphasizes the need to evaluate quality of life (QoL) in these patients at all the stages of their disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate quality of life in a sample of patients diagnosed with melanoma, using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) questionnaire. A descriptive, cross sectional study was conducted between July and December, 2006 with all patients with skin melanoma receiving follow-up care at the Department of Dermatology of the Porto Alegre Teaching Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Sixty patients were included in the study. Mean age was 55.6 years. Poor education level (primary school or less) was associated with a poorer FACT-G score. Patients with a family history of the disease had higher QoL scores in 3 of the 4 categories evaluated: physical, emotional and functional wellbeing (p