Feasibility of quality of life assessment in routine clinical oncology practice: a Tunisian study

Limited research has been devoted to quality of life (QOL) of cancer patients in developing countries. To assess the feasibility of QOL assessment in a cohort of Tunisian cancer patients, the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire was administered to 23 women treated with adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer on an outpatient basis at baseline and during the 3rd cycle of chemotherapy. We observed a significant deterioration in physical functioning, cognitive functioning and social functioning during chemotherapy. However, a wide range of methodological and practical obstacles to routine QOL evaluation were identified through this study. Further improvement of cancer care infrastructure and public education is still needed before reliable QOL studies can be performed.