Objective: The relation between performance status and quality of life (QoL) among advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients remains uncertain. This study aimed to assess the correlation between performance ability (indicated by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score - ECOG) to QoL among individuals diagnosed with advanced NSCLC, utilizing the EORTC QLQ-LC13 tool.
Methods: A total of 170 patients diagnosed with NSCLC (TxNxM1) with periodically chemotherapy treatment at Hanoi Oncology hospital were invited to the study. The ECOG score and EORTC QLQ-LC13 were assessed by a dietitian.
Results: The highest proportion (64.1%) of subjects with ECOG score = 1. The most frequent symptoms in EORTC QLQ-LC13 categories were mild coughing, shortness of breath, and chest pain and hair loss was the most unwanted side effect of treatment. Poor performance status related with decrease in QoL (p< 0.05).
Conclusions: Performance status correlated significantly with QoL categories, suggests that improving aspects of quality of life sufficiently can enhance the performance abilities of patients with advanced stage NSCLC.