Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.3
2.4
Journals
Medicina
Special Issues
Quality of Life Assessment in Oncology Patients
share announcement

Quality of Life Assessment in Oncology Patients

A special issue of Medicina (ISSN 1648-9144). This special issue belongs to the section "Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 2291

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Raluca Maria Pop

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iuliu Hatieganu Cluj-Napoca, Victor Babes, 8, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: quality of life; oncology patients; individual needs; clinical decisions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Claudia Florentina Militaru

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Morpho-Functional Sciences, Discipline of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: quality of life; oncology patients; individual needs; clinical decisions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The field of medical oncology is in a permanent dynamic, both in terms of the evolution of pharmacological treatments and in the attempt to ensure a good quality of life (QoL) for oncology patients.

QoL is a concept that has constantly evolved and that refers to all aspects and needs of the patient's life. It is a subjective parameter, difficult to quantify, mostly determined by individual needs, beliefs, values, ​​and attitudes.

Currently, most clinical studies carried out in the field of oncology use tools to assess QoL, this being often among the objectives of clinical studies.

The evaluation of QoL refers to the subjective perceptions of oncological patients in relation to the symptoms determined by the disease and the side effects of the treatments, but also to their physical, emotional, cognitive, and social functions.

There are authors who support the idea that the evaluation of QoL could support making more inclusive clinical decisions regarding regimens and care management.

We invite colleagues from all over the world to report their clinical experience in evaluating the QoL of cancer patients, as well as their contribution to therapeutic decision-making.

Dr. Raluca Maria Pop
Guest Editor

Dr. Claudia Florentina Militaru
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Medicina is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • quality of life
  • oncology patients
  • individual needs
  • clinical decisions

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

11 pages, 303 KiB  
Article
Quality of Life and Symptom Burden in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients Receiving Second-Line Chemotherapy Compared with Immunotherapy
by Christos Stylianou, Ioannis Kalemikerakis, Theocharis Konstantinidis, Alkmena Kafazi, Nektarios Alevizopoulos, Stelios Parissopoulos and Ourania Govina
Medicina 2024, 60(11), 1845; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina60111845 - 9 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1685
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The burdened symptomatology accompanying advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is associated with poor prognosis and lower quality of life (QoL). Although both chemotherapy and immunotherapy increase survival, they are still associated with reduced functionality due to their toxicity. This [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: The burdened symptomatology accompanying advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is associated with poor prognosis and lower quality of life (QoL). Although both chemotherapy and immunotherapy increase survival, they are still associated with reduced functionality due to their toxicity. This study aimed to estimate the QoL and symptom burden of NSCLC patients receiving second-line chemotherapy compared to patients receiving second-line immunotherapy. Materials and Methods: This comparative, prospective study, conducted from January 2020 to December 2021, included 111 NSCLC patients who were divided into two groups: 61 patients receiving second-line chemotherapy and 50 patients receiving second-line immunotherapy. Patients’ QoL and symptom burden were estimated using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ C-30) (value range 0–100) from treatment cycle 1 to 6. Results: The QoL (mean score > 50) and functionality dimensions (mean score > 50) were moderate to good in both treatment groups, while the symptom burden did not appear to be a serious problem (mean score < 50). From cycle 3 to cycle 5, QoL was significantly better in the immunotherapy group. From cycle 3, the role and social functioning scores were higher in the immunotherapy group, while emotional and cognitive functioning were higher from cycle 2 (p <0.05). The chemotherapy group experienced higher levels of nausea/vomiting, constipation and financial difficulties in all the cycles (p < 0.05). Fatigue and appetite loss were significantly greater from cycle 2 and insomnia was significantly greater from cycle 3. On the contrary, the immunotherapy group experienced higher levels of diarrhea in cycles 5 and 6 (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Although both therapy groups did not report significantly impaired QoL and severe symptoms, it seems that QoL improved in the immunotherapy group, which reported a lower symptom burden compared to the chemotherapy group. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality of Life Assessment in Oncology Patients)

Other

Jump to: Research

10 pages, 246 KiB  
Perspective
We Need to Talk About Quality of Life with Cancer Patients: Primum Non Nocere in Oncology
by Vlad Bogin
Medicina 2025, 61(5), 918; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina61050918 - 19 May 2025
Viewed by 207
Abstract
The Hippocratic principle primum non nocere, or “first, do no harm”, serves as a vital lens through which to re-evaluate modern oncology practices. While recent advances such as immunotherapy, targeted agents, and precision medicine have transformed cancer care, these treatments are not without [...] Read more.
The Hippocratic principle primum non nocere, or “first, do no harm”, serves as a vital lens through which to re-evaluate modern oncology practices. While recent advances such as immunotherapy, targeted agents, and precision medicine have transformed cancer care, these treatments are not without risk. Even with improved tolerability, they may still lead to substantial toxicities, particularly in frail patients with advanced cancer. The pursuit of survival often overshadows the patient’s quality of life, with aggressive interventions frequently continuing beyond the point of meaningful benefit. This perspective article argues for a more individualized and ethically grounded approach to cancer treatment, emphasizing the careful assessment of each patient’s clinical status, values, and goals. By integrating geriatric and palliative assessments, improving shared decision making, and moving away from a default treatment-at-all-costs mindset, clinicians can better align care with what truly matters to patients. Honoring primum non nocere in oncology means not only extending life when appropriate but ensuring that life remains worth living. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality of Life Assessment in Oncology Patients)
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop