Acute leukaemia or highly malignant lymphoma patients' quality of life over two years: a pilote study

The purpose of this study was to investigate quality of life and sense of coherence for acute leukaemia and malignant lymphoma patients at the start of treatment and throughout two years. A further purpose  was to compare questionnaire responses with patients’ statements in open-ended interviews. A consecutive sample of 16 patients responded to the Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ C-30), Lund Gerontological Centre questionnaire and the Sense of Coherence Scale at the start of treatment and after 12 and 24 months. The QLQ C-30 questionnaire was administered after 4, 8, 16 and 20 months. Tape-recorded open-ended interviews were conducted every four months before the patients responded to the questionnaires. Quality of life and sense of coherence were higher scored at the start of treatment for patients without relapse, than for those with relapse. The recovery pattern, however, throughout the two years was similar for both relapsers and non-relapsers, thus the former had not recovered to the same extent as the latter. Relapsers may have had different prerequisites or a worse position at the debut of the disease and reasonably they need more compensatory nursing care. The long lasting nature of the disease makes it important not to withdraw the nursing care too soon after remission, and to develop strategies to empower the patients in handling the consequences of the disease and treatment.