Background: The global cancer burden is estimated to have to rise to 18.1 million new cases and 9.6 million deaths in 2018. The increasing cancer burden is due to several factors, including population growth and ageing as well as the changing prevalence of certain causes linked to social and economic development. Cancer is known to reduce quality of life, and has been evident that decreased quality of life has a negative effect not only on physiological symptoms but also on of the individual.
Objective: This study determined the quality of life and correlation of domains among cancer patients receiving care at Bugando medical centre.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 420 cancer patients receiving care at Bugando medical centre. The study involved patients who were 18 years and data on quality of care obtained using WHOBREF Questionnaire. We used open data kit (ODK during data collection and uploaded to SPSS software version 20 for management and analysis.
Results: A total of 420 participated in the study quality of life was measured using WHOBREF which consists of four domains. In average the study participants scored around 50 in all domains. However, patients scored slightly higher for psychological (63.8%) and environment (61.4%) domains.
Conclusion: In this study, cancer patients receiving care at Bugando medical centre scored around 50% on quality of care. Of four domains, patients scored poorly in social domain which involves social support during treatment followed by physical domain which mostly complain was pain Hence, social support for cancer patients should be emphasized among caregivers.
Wurzburg Road 35, BMC Premises, Post Code: 33102: P. O. Box 1464, Mwanza – Tanzania: Phone: +255 28 298 3384: Fax: +255 28 298 3386: Email: vc@bugando.ac.tz: www.bugando.ac.tz