Impact of Chemotherapy upon Lifestyle for the Patient with BIadder Cancer

Abstract

Objectives: The study aimed to determine the effect of chemotherapy on the life style of patients who
receive chemotherapy.
Methodology: A descriptive study was conducted in Specialty Surgery Teaching Hospital, Al-yamok
Teaching Hospital, and Radiation and Nuclear Medicine Hospital in Baghdad for the period from May
2007 to October 2008. A purposive "non-probability" sample of (loo) patients with bladder cancer
who receive chemotherapy where concerned in this study.
A questionnaire fom was constnicted for the purpose of the study and it was comprised of
two parts. The questiormaire consists of (125) items. They include (1) demographic information (2)
assessment of lifestyle dimension. The content validity of the questionnaire was determined through a
panel of (13) experts. Data were collected by the investigator who interviewed those patients and filled
out the constructed questionnaire form.
The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistical approach (frequency, percentage and
mean of scores) and inferential statistical approach (chi-square, standard deviation and correlation
coefficient).
Results: The findings of the study have revealed that most of patients with bladder cancer who receive
chemotherapy were of 60.3) years mean age, mostly males, living in urban area, married and had
children, primary school graduate, retired with barely sufficient monthly income taking chemotherapy
by Foley's catheter and duration of disease 1-5 years.
Recommendations: The study recommended that an education program to be developed and
implemented of patients with bladder cancer who were under chemotherapy treatment.