Quality of life of patients with lung cancer

ABSTRACT Lung cancer accounts for about 34% of cancer deaths in men and 23% in women. It is a serious disease and, for about 85% of patients, the diagnosis is made when they are in stage 3 or 4 of the disease, as lung cancer progresses silently and only when it has already spread does it cause problems for the patient that lead to doctor. It has a metastatic form, having as its source the cells of the lung and can be caused by either genetic or environmental factors. Its timely diagnosis by the medical staff offers the patient better survival rates. Depending on the stage of the cancer, the appropriate treatment is chosen - surgical removal, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. The main goal of any therapeutic approach is the patient's quality of life combined with the effectiveness of the treatment. The main symptoms are cough, pain in one area of the chest or localized to one or more sides, fatigue, weakness and unexplained weight loss. Quality of Life (QoL) refers to various dimensions of a person's daily life, such as their functionality, their well-being as well as the general perception of their health at a physical, psychological and social level. Most literature studies report that the quality of life in patients with lung cancer is lower than in the healthy population. In addition, it seems that men show a higher quality of life in terms of social and psychological aspects than women.

Keywords: quality of life, lung cancer,  treatment