EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF EDUCATIONAL PACKAGE ON CONTROLLING THE COMPLICATIONS OF CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC AGENTS ON SYMPTOM SCALES OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER UNDERGOING CHEMOTHERAPY

Today breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women, hence
measuring the quality of life of patients with breast cancer is of great important. Chemotherapy is one
of the common treatment procedures that cause several side effects. Patient who received outpatient
chemotherapy need active measurements to control these side effects. It is necessary to get enough
information from the patients and their family's education. The aim of this study is the evaluation of
the effects of educational package on controlling the complications of chemotherapeutic agents on
symptom scales of quality of life in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy
Materials & Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study. Patients were 106 women with breast
cancer candidate to chemotherapy referred to ward of Oncology in Omid and Imam Khomeini
hospitals. Eligible patient selected as available sampling. They were randomly divided into
intervention and control groups. Questionnaire measured the quality of life using the European
Organization for Research and treatment of cancer Quality of life Questionnaire (EROTC QLQ_C30)
and its breast cancer supplementary measure (QLQ-BR 23) at two points in time; baseline (prechemotherapy), 12 weeks after chemotherapy (within four cycle of chemotherapy). After two
chemotherapy cycle intervention group received the educational package for control of chemotherapy
side effects.
Results: The results showed that educational package for controlling the side effects of chemotherapy
in intervention group reduced the symptom scales of quality of life and increased the global quality of
life (p<0.005), in comparison with the control group.
Conclusion: According to the results, codification of an integrated educational program by oncology
nurses will have significant positive impact on the promoting quality of life in patients with breast
cancer undergoing chemotherapy