Relationship Between Chronic Pain and Quality of Life in Patients With Acute Leukemia Undergoing Chemotherapy

Chronic pain is one of the most prevalent symptoms in patients with acute leukemia and can affect patients' Quality of Life (QOL) that is a significant factor in assessment of cancer treatments. Also, the goal of curing hematological malignancies is to reach to increased survival and improvement of patients; and this goal will be fulfilled when QOL in patients is promoted. The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between chronic pain and Health-Related QOL (HR-QOL) in patients with acute leukemia under chemotherapy in Ahvaz City, Iran. This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 90 patients (age range, 18 - 50 years) with acute leukemia under chemotherapy referred to Shafa Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran. The participants were selected through convenient sampling. The outcome measures included the Iranian version of the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) health survey, Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for assessing the pain, and demographic questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using ANOVA, t-test, chi-square, with the significance level of 95%. The average of pain severity was 6.03 ± 2.06, and the total average of HR-QOL was 46.83 ± 3.62, and the lowest average belonged to physical function (42.17 ± 25.75). No significant difference was found in the average pain between the two genders (P = 0.487); however, there was a statistically significant difference between HR-QOL and gender (P = 0.005). Moreover, no significant difference was detected between the average pain severity and acute leukemia type (P = 0.152). The findings also revealed a significant relationship between pain severity and aspects of HR-QOL, So that, all aspects of QOL were decreased with increased pain severity. The results of the study indicate that chronic pain and HR-QOL in patients with acute leukemia in Ahvaz are in a very adverse condition and require serious reform. The findings of the study can be helpful in the clinical decisions and health care programs to the therapeutic team