Comparison of the impact of radiotherapy and radiochemotherapy on the quality of life of 1-year survivors with cervical cancer

Figures & data

Table 1 Descriptive characteristics of patients

Variables	Group
	1 (RAD/CHEM)					2 (RAD)					Total
	M/F	SD	Min	Max	N	M/F	SD	Min	Max	N	M/F	SD	Min	Max	N
Age	49.76	9.058	33	73	58	61.40	12.138	35	78	47	54.97	2.000	33	78	105
Married	98%		0%	100%	58	96%		0%	100%	46	97%		0%	100%	104
Ch	1.98	1.177	0	9	58	2.28	1.210	1	5	47	2.11	1.195	0	10	105
Con	22%		0%	100%	58	18%		0%	100%	47	20%		0%	100%	105
Con/y	1.60	2.576	0	10	57	0.68	2.033	0	10	47	1.18	2.380	0	10	104
Ab	30%		0%	100%	56	24%		0%	100%	40	27%		0%	100%	96
Ab no	1.02	1.053	0	3	47	0.28	0.815	0	4	36	0.70	1.021	0	4	83
Pap/y	4.30	2.550	0	10	43	4.95	3.045	0	10	19	4.50	2.702	0	10	62
Pap/m	47.38	32.446	1	120	47	56.35	38.046	1	120	20	50.06	34.169	1	120	67
Stage	74%		IA (0)	IIIA (100)	58	66%		IB (0)	IIIA (100)	47	70%		IA (0)	IIIA (100)	105
Grade	2.59	0.826	Low	High	56	2.85	0.955	Low	High	47	2.71	0.893	Low	High	103

Abbreviations: RAD, radiotherapy; RAD/CHEM, radiochemotherapy; M, mean value; F, frequency; SD, standard deviation; Min, minimum value; Max, maximum value; Ch, children; Con, contraceptive use; Con/y, years of contraceptive use; Ab, abortions; Ab no, number of abortions; Pap/y, years before last Pap test; Pap/m, months before last Pap test.

Table 2 Aspects of life investigated, Cronbach’s alpha, and ANOVA P-value for the four questionnaires

Questionnaire	Questions	Aspect	Cronbach’s alpha	ANOVA P-value
EORTC QLQ C-30	1–5	General status	0.935	0.559
	6–10	Physical activity	0.934	0.321
	11–13	Fatigue	0.888	0.396
	14–15	Nausea, vomiting	0.973	0.553
	16–17	Constipation, diarrhea	0.701	0.445
	18–21	Perception	0.842	0.656
	22–25	Mood	0.895	0.693
	26–28	Impact on life	0.888	0.236
	29–30	Health, quality of life	0.929	0.279
EORTC QLQ CX-24	Last week		0.808	0.558
	31–37	Abdominal spasms, defecation, urination	0.819	0.665
	38–40	Limb problems	0.819	0.288
	41–43	Vaginal problems	0.830	0.788
	44–47	Sexuality
	Last 4 weeks		0.829	0.558
	48–49	Sexuality	0.974	0.442
	50–54	Vagina condition during last 4 weeks
Questionnaire of post-traumatic psychological disorder	Meta1-22	Post-traumatic stress in the last week due to disease knowledge	0.993	0.228
Greek symptom control questionnaire by MD Anderson	MerosIQ1–Q15	Symptoms’ pain intensity in the last 24 hours	0.956	0.336
	MerosIIQ16–Q23	Impact on life in the last 24 hours	0.933	0.668

Notes: Cronbach’s alpha coefficient: the closer Cronbach’s alpha coefficient is to 10.0 the greater the reliability of the questionnaire; ANOVA P-value: significance level is set at 0.05 (P < 0.05), so any value less than this results in significant effects, while any value greater than this value results in nonsignificant effects.