[The quality of life after chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients]

The intensity of complains, short survival and great number of patients makes many oncologists to apply chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer/NSCLC/. The achieved median duration of life after chemotherapy was 6 to 12 month. From the other hand non small cell lung cancer chemotherapy is a big burden even to healthy persons. It can worsen the quality of life. That was the reason we evaluated the quality of life after chemotherapy in advanced non small cell lung cancer patients. Taking into account, that the evaluation of quality of life, used in most diseases is useless in advanced NSCLC patients, for appreciation the quality of life in these cases the lung cancer symptoms scale/LCSS/was adopted. In 110 non small cell lung cancer patients in stage IIIB and IV, who received combined chemotherapy by Le Chevalier/Vindesine, Cisplatin, Cyclophosphamide, Lomustin/or by Rosell/Mitomycin, Cyclophosphamide, Cisplatin/the quality of life was evaluated. In 20-persons control group all patients received the symptomatic treatment. In observed group of 110 patients, tumor regressions after 4 courses of chemotherapy allowed to resect cancer in 14 cases, to apply radiotherapy in 42 and to continue chemiotherapy in 23 persons. In every person from above mentioned group the quality of life was evaluated on the basis of intensity of cancer symptoms, accordingly to LCSS. The intensity of cancer symptoms was compared before and after treatment. There were compared; the innensity of complains, weakness, appetite, malnutrition, and hematological, neurological, performans state as well as respiratory sufficiency, infections, cardiac disorders and pain. Apart it, the side effects of applied therapy were assessed in 5 degree scale. The level of hemoglobin, the number of leucocytes, thrombocytes, bilirubine and transaminases in peripheral blood, hematurie, proteinurie, bleedings, appetite, nausea, vomitings, diarrhea, mucosal lesions, infections, skin lesions, cardiac lesions, neurological lesions, respiratory disorders, allergy, alopecia. It was established that, chemotherapy in the most patients improved the performance status and minimized cancer symptoms especially, after good response to treatment. After anticancer therapy more frequently severe infections and cardiac disorders, independently to results of treatment were seen. In non-responders, the cancer symptoms were intensified by side effects of antineoplastic-therapy. In this group of patients the severe side effects of therapy more frequently were seen.