Quality of Life in Patients with Multiple Myeloma in Slovakia

Abstract

A651of life (QoL) and the ability to work (WA) too. Till now in the Slovak Republic there was not realised the study oriented on the both mentioned categories. Methods: 102 patients with LC were studied. The average of age was 50.3 y., weight -78.3 kg, height -175.1, duration of illness -2.4 y., symptoms of illness before diagnosis -1.2 y. Metastases were present in 72 patients. 4 patients were mentioned as strong pessimists, 10 predominant pessimists, 9 neither pessimists nor optimists, 61 predominant optimists, and 18 strong optimists. QoL and the ability to work was evaluated by means of the numeric scale from 0 to 10 (0-the worst, 10-the best) by patients themselves. Results: The QoL was evaluated in these domains: in the time of good health -8-21, in the time of diagnosis -2.82, in the current time -3.71. The WA had these results: in time of good health -8.89, in the time of diagnosis -5.08, and in the current time -2.17. The impact of treatment on the QoL was 2.49 and on the patients families QoL it was 2.75. The willingness to pay for perfect cure was 92.35 € per month (the average salary in Slovakia in 2013 was 824 € ). ConClusions: LC has a great impact on QoL and on the WA too. There was a strong correlation between QoL and WA, although the WA has the later onset as QoL. Our research confirmed the importance of early diagnosis and high effective treatment of this disease.