Quality of life among primary liver cell carcinoma patients in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

A descriptive prospective study was conducted to evaluate the quality of life of patients with primary liver cell carcinoma at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Quality of life (QOL) was evaluated using a modified W HO QOL Field Trial version questionnaire of December 1996. The QOL parameters include body pains, energy and acceptability of bodily appearance among others. Thirty-four patients aged between 23 - 74 years with a mean age of 49.6±13.4 were assessed. There were 28 (82.4%) males and 6 (17.6% females) (M/F = 4.6:1). Only about thirty percent of the patients rated their quality of life as being good or very good, with 70% rating their quality of life as very poor, poor or neither poor nor good. Eighty five percent of the patients were dissatisfied with their health, with 44.1% describing their health as very dissatisfying and only less than 10% enjoying satisfactory health. Eighty two percent of the patients responded that physical pain prevented them from doing what they want to do from moderate to extreme extent. All responders believed they require medical treatment to function in their lives with 22 (64%) requiring it very much. Seventeen (50%) of the patients had not enough energy at all for their daily activities, while 21 (61.7%) found their bodily appearance unacceptable to them. Fourteen (41.2%) did not receive adequate information they required about their day to-day life. We conclude that our patients with PLCC have a low QOL rating and measures such as pain relief, reduction of bodily disfigurement and information to patients need to be put in place in order to improve their QOL.