Determinants of Fatigue, Self-efficacy, and Quality of Life of Cancer Patients During Chemotherapy: A Study from Turkey

Patients with cancer feel too much anxiety, loss of control, helplessness, severe emotional distress, symptom burden and struggle to adapt with diagnosis and treatment. Beliefs and perceptions about own capabilities influence patients' self-control over functioning. The objective of the study was to explore the personal, disease and treatment-related characteristics with fatigue, self-efficacy, and quality of life of cancer patients during chemotherapy. This is a descriptive-correlational research. The study sample composed of 236 patients treated with breast, lung, colorectal or stomach cancers. The patients were recruited from an outpatient chemotherapy unit of a state hospital. Data was collected using Patient Information Form, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue and Strategies Used by Patients to Promote Health scales. Mean age of the patients was 57.37 years. The sample was made of mostly lung cancer (30.9%). The cancer stage and presence of distant metastasis were the determinants of fatigue for cancer patients. Females, patients with low income, poor functional status, and advanced cancer stage, the history of cancer treatments had worse quality of life scores. The patients' functional status, cancer stage, the history of cancer treatments and marital status were the determinants of self-efficacy. The results displayed that some personal and clinical variables influenced the self-confidence in performing self-care behaviors, fatigue and the quality of life. Patients with the history of radiotherapy or surgery and advanced cancer needed to be supported for developing their self-confidence, fatigue management and improving functional status, and quality of life.