Impact of the Treatment-Free Interval on Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Early-Stage Serous Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Background: Although the incidence of ovarian cancer is less than that of other female cancers, the morbidity and mortality associated with the disease course is high. Because treatment involves radical surgery and intense courses of chemotherapy, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is often compromised. Most patients recur post-first-line therapy and undergo multiple rounds of chemotherapy. Thus, HRQOL is further disrupted. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess impact of the treatment-free interval on health-related quality of life in patients with early-stage serous epithelial ovarian cancer. Methods: The cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the Department of Gynecological Oncology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka. A total 38 women with histopathologically confirmed serous epithelial ovarian cancer were included in the study. Participants were divided into two groups according to their mutation status; patients with BRCA mutation were Exposed Group and those without BRCA mutation as Unexposed Group. The questionnaire was pretested, corrected and finalized. Data were collected by face-to-face interview and analyzed by appropriate computer based programmed software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 24. Results: In this study, maximum study subjects 26 (68.4%) were in >45 years age group and 12 (31.6%) were in ≤45 years age group. Mean age of the study subjects was 52.43±4.22 years and majority of the patients 29 (76.3%) were literate and 9 (23.7%) were illiterate. About 25 (65.8%) respondents had family history of breast / ovarian cancer and 11 (28.9%) had no family history of breast / ovarian cancer. Majority 20 (52.6%) respondents underwent Primary Debulking Surgery as primary treatment modality, whereas 18 (47.4%) did not receive Primary Debulking Surgery and majority respondents 21 (55.3%) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and interval debulking surgery, whereas 19 (44.7%) ..........