Leukemias and lymphomas are malignant tumors and leading primary haematological diseases that can significantly impair the quality of life of the affected person. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the quality of life and functioning of patients with leukemia and lymphoma and their awareness of the role of physiotherapy in the process of treatment and rehabilitation. The study was conducted on 24 patients with leukemia or lymphoma, using the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) and a standardized questionnaire of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer, the EORTC QLQ-C30, for assessing certain aspects of quality of life. In addition, data were collected on the awareness and experience of patients with physiotherapy.The assessment of quality of life showed that emotional functioning may be impaired in the long term in people with leukemia and lymphoma, while cognitive function positively correlated with the time elapsed since the diagnosis. Respondents were generally well-informed about the role of physical activity and physiotherapy in the process of leukemia and lymphoma treatment and rehabilitation. This was particularly pronounced in those respondents who reported engaging in sports activities. On the other hand, a small number of respondents got recommendations to engage in physiotherapy, which is also confirmed by their opinion that physiotherapy is not readily available to people with leukemia and lymphoma. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the quality of life and functioning of patients with leukemia and lymphoma and their awareness of the role of physiotherapy in the process of treatment and rehabilitation.
Methods
Sample description26 patients participated in the research. Two of them were underage and due to the specific nature of childhood age they were excluded from analysis. The average age of respondents was 45 years, with the youngest being 23 and the oldest 80 years. 17 (71%) of the respondents were female and 7 (29%) male. Half of the respondents have completed college or university education. Also, 50% of the respondents were married, 20% of the respondents declared themselves as single, while the remaining 30% indicated other marital status. The average time elapsed from the diagnosis in the sample was 7 ± 6 years. The most recent diagnosis was given two months before the research was carried out, and the oldest 23 years ago.