Abstract

Introduction: Now more than 50 percent of children, who suffer from cancer, survive 5 years or more and reach to adult stage. On the other hand an increase in use of aggressive treatment causes children experience unpleasant physical, mental and behavioral side effects during treatment. Lack of side effect control intensifies negative effects on quality of life. This brought attention to quality of life in children when offering treatments.

Objective: The purpose of present study was to determine related factors to quality of Life among children with cancer.

Methods: This is an analytical descriptive cross- sectional study among 89, 2-5 year old children with cancer referred to Imam Reza (AS) clinic and Amir Hospital at Shiraz in 2012. Data were collected using a three-part questionnaire including: 1) relevant factors with QOL in children with cancer, 2) Health-Related Quality of Life and 3) Specialty Quality of Life (PedQLCancer Modules), through interview with mothers and review of medical records. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regressions.

Results: Findings indicated that health related quality of life mean score was 62.96±15.78 and specialty quality of life mean score was 63/35±15/81. Surveying socio-demographic and clinical factors showed significant differences between child^’s age (p<0.002, OR=0.38), father’s occupation (p<0.025, OR=5.29) and time elapse between periods of chemotherapy (p<0.001, OR=22.13) and health related QOL using multiple regression (p<0.05).

Conclusion: In attention that chemotherapy in most patients with cancer is not only used as a definite treatment but also as a way to increase life duration and survival of child and quality of life, therefore it should be possible to survey the long-term and short term side effects of illness and chemotherapy in children. And also foundations such as supportive network can help through finance and provide more socioeconomic security and therefore leave a positive effect on quality of life in children with cancer and their families.

 Key word: Child, Neoplasms, Quality of Life