CN48Exploring anxiety, depression and quality of life of ambulatory cancer patients during chemotherapy

Abstract Background Cancer and the adverse events of its treatment influence patients’ psychology and decrease their quality of life. The aim of this study was the investigation of the relationship between anxiety, depression and quality of life of ambulatory cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in the one-day clinic of a large anticancer Hospital in Athens, Greece. Our convenience heterogeneous sample included 150 patients who received chemotherapy. Participants completed the Distress Thermometer and Problem List, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the EORTC QLQ-C30 (version 3.0) for the assessment of Quality of life and the demographic and clinical characteristics questionnaire. Permission for the research was obtained by the ethical committee of the hospital. Data analysis was conducted by SPSS 22.0. The statistical significance level was set at p  Results The mean age of the participants was 60.07±11.42 while 64% of the sample was female. The majority of patients reported worry (82.7%), fatigue (84.7%), fear (74.7%), nervousness, (51.3%) sadness (51.3%) and depression (34%). Female patients reported higher distress levels than male (p  Conclusions Anxiety and depression have a negative influence on the quality of life of ambulatory cancer patients during chemotherapy. Nurses could play an important role in the recognition and management of these symptoms. Academics and nurse managers professionals need to enhance nurses’ knowledge and sensitivity and empower them to take an active role. Legal entity responsible for the study Program of Postgraduate Studies in "Neurological Disorders - Evidence Based Practice", Nursing Department, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.