Chemotherapy, Cancer, and the Quality of Life: An Occupational Therapy Approach

The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of life of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in terms of changes in activity patterns and overall psychological status. Activity patterns are central to the occupational therapy perspective. Twenty two subjects participated. Data was collected on random days from inpatients and outpatients, using a three‐part questionnaire. A descriptive analysis was performed using frequency counts of the number of responses to questionnaire items. The results demonstrated that a majority of subjects had experienced a disruption in activity patterns since commencing chemotherapy treatment. Most subjects, however, expressed a positive outlook towards their life situations. These findings indicate that it is necessary to consider both extent of activity disruption and psychological well‐being when assessing quality of life of cancer patients, in order to gain a comprehensive lifestyle analysis as a basis for planning appropriate occupational therapy intervention.