Abstract
Purpose: :
The measurement of quality of life has become an important topic in healthcare and in the allocation of limited healthcare resources. Improving the quality of life in those who may have a shortened life expectancy is often the goal of treatment in cancer patients. The purpose of this research is to quantify the change in vision-related quality of life in cancer patients as measured by the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) who underwent cataract surgery at a tertiary cancer hospital.
Methods: :
An IRB-approved pilot study was performed in cancer patients undergoing cataract surgery from the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Patients who completed the NEI VFQ-25 before and 4 to 6 weeks after cataract surgery were evaluated. The responses of NEI-VFQ-25 were analyzed using the Wilcoxon matched pairs test.
Results: :
34 patients were included in the analysis from a single surgeon’s practice. Compared to pre-operative NEI-VFQ scores, cancer patients had a significant increase in vision-related quality of life (P=0.000074) after the surgery. Patients also had a statistically significant improvement in eight of the twelve subcategories in the NEI VFQ-25. Details of the patients' demographics, cancer history, surgical outcomes are summarized.
Conclusions: :
Cataract surgery appears to impact significant improvement on the vision-related quality of life in cancer patients as measured by NEI-VFQ. The benefit of cataract surgery in the cancer patients has not been previously published. This study may serve as a pilot for a larger study to evaluate and quantify the impact of an elective surgical intervention on quality of life in the cancer population.
Keywords: treatment outcomes of cataract surgery • quality of life • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: natural history