Quality of life
EORTC QLQ-C30 is an instrument used in cancer research to measure quality of life. All of the patients were asked to answer the questionnaire on three occasions: before onset of treatment, 6 weeks after onset of therapy and after completion of treatment. Chemotherapy was initiated before onset of healing therapy for three of the four patients in the healing group. Four patients from the control group and three from the healing group completed all three questionnaires.
Symptoms such as fatigue, pain, dyspnea, nausea and vomiting, sleep disturbances, appetite loss, constipation and diarrhoea as well as experiences of financial difficulties are common for patients with cancer. In addition, chemotherapy is associated with side affects such as nausea and vomiting, appetite loss, constipation and/or diarrhoea. Symptom occurrence was compared between the two groups.
Levels of functioning
Levels of functioning before treatment were similar. The patients in the control group reported higher levels than the intervention group in cognitive, social and physical functioning whereas during treatment they reported higher scores only in cognitive functioning. After treatment, the patients receiving healing registered higher values than the control group on all of the functional scales with the greatest differences in physical functioning and roll functioning. Patients in the control group registered decreased levels of functioning in physical, emotional, cognitive and social functioning and were at the same level as before treatment in role functioning.
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