Pacientes oncológicos em quimioterapia paliativa: perfil e relações entre sintomas, capacidade funcional e qualidade de vida

• Ano de defesa: 2011
• Autor(a) principal: Raissa Silva Souza
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: por
• Instituição de defesa: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; UFMG
• Palavras-chave em Português: Cuidados Paliativos; Quimioterapia; Enfermagem; Enfermagem Oncológica; Neoplasias/epidemiologia; Humanos; Meia-Idade; Masculino; Questionários; Neoplasias/complicações; Feminino; Fatores Socioeconômicos; Qualidade de Vida; Adulto; Neoplasias/quimioterapia; Neoplasias/diagnóstico; Assistência Paliativa
• Link de acesso: http://hdl.handle.net/1843/GCPA-8NGJEU

The non communicable diseases and illnesses show growing impact in the populations health status. Because of the etiopathogenesis and magnitude of some diseases, including cancer, they have become serious community health problems. The word cancer refers to a group of more than a hundred diseases characterized by disorganized cellular growth, which has the ability to invade tissues and organs causing metastasis in other parts of the body. In general, when cancer is advanced with metastasis, the person does not get help from treatments focused mainly on cure. Palliative chemotherapy is among the effective ways in the care of these patients. This type of chemotherapy reduces the tumor size, reduces symptoms, but not always increases survivorship. PURPOSE: to investigate the profile of persons in palliative chemotherapy in an outpatient clinic in Belo Horizonte. RESULTS: Mean age of the sample was 56 years and 8.6% was illiterate. The majority werewomen (65.7%), had low educational level and did not have jobs (65.7%). All participants had advanced stage cancer (stage III or IV) with distant metastasis. Primary breast cancer was the most common site (44.3%), followed by gastrointestinal cancer (30%). The most common metastasis sites were the liver (25%), lung (13%) and bones (20%). Performancestatus for 70% of the sample was stable, with little or no inability to conduct activities of daily living (ADL). The Symptom Experience and Quality of Life assessment showed moderate total means. Conclusion: The variables Symptom Experience and Quality of Life presented moderate severe changes. Decline in the Performance Status was significantly related to worse Symptom Experience and Quality of Life, indicating a need for nursing intervention to improve the patients functional independence. Palliative care can promote a better Quality ofLife of these patients, since it allows effective symptoms control and favors the participation of patients and families in treatment decisions and directions