ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common invasive cancers and is responsible for physical and psychosocial morbidity. Quality of life (QOL) is an important outcome for these patients. The aim of this study was to determine the predictive factors of QOL in patients with CRC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross‑sectional design was used to assess 110 patients with CRC who referred to Oncology Department of Razi Hospital, Guilan. Data were collected by structured interview with patients and review of medical records. Generic and specific QOL were evaluated by short form‑36 and functional assessment of cancer therapy‑colorectal, respectively. Generalized linear models identified variables significantly associated with QOL. RESULTS: Out of 110 patients with CRC, 58.2% were men. Mean age of patients was 58.33 ± 12.39 years. Mean of Generic and specific QOL were 70.92 ± 15.56 and 95.72 ± 19.18, respectively. In regression analysis, age, sex, living condition, health insurance, hospitalization frequency, Karnofsky performance status, and co‑morbidity were predictors of generic QOL and age, sex, living condition, health insurance, monthly income, family history of CRC, Karnofsky performance status, and co‑morbidity were predictors of specific QOL in patients. CONCLUSION: There are nine socio‑demographic and clinical factors that are significant predictors of QOL in patients with CRC which should be considered in treatment and care of patients. The findings of this study should be the target of future research, emphasizing the need for interventional studies that minimize the adverse impact of the disease symptoms on the QOL in patients with CRC.
ABSTRACT
Pre-hospital delay is an important cause of increasing mortality in acute myocardial Infarction. There are conflicting data regarding the relationship between sex and pre-hospital delay for patients with acute myocardial Infarction. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between pre-hospital delay and sex. This cross-sectional survey was conducted on 162 consecutive patients with acute myocardial Infarction admitted to Cardiac Care Unit [CCU] in Dr. Heshmat hospital in Rasht between May 2010 and September 2011. A convenient sampling method was used. All patients were interviewed within 7 days after admission by using a data collection form. Mean of pre-hospital delay for women was more than men. Majority of men had chest pain. The women often experienced different and non-specific symptoms compared to men. Regression analysis showed no significant relationship between patients' characteristics and pre-hospital delay in women, whilst, prehospital delay was significantly related to perceiving symptoms to be serious and interpreting symptoms to a cardiac origin in men. Results of the current study suggest that pre-hospital delay for women was longer than men with acute myocardial Infarction, as women often experienced no specific symptoms compared to men. Therefore, it recommended that clinicians educate public, particularly women, on acute myocardial infarction to enable them to recognize the signs and symptoms of acute myocardial infarction correctly and realize the benefits of early treatment