OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY IN THE OCCUPATIONAL ROLES AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF COLORECTAL CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING CHEMOTHERAPY

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.159592530012

• Palavras-chave: Colorectal Cancer, Role Performance, Quality of Life, Chemotherapy, Occupational Therapy.

• Keywords: Colorectal Cancer, Role Performance, Quality of Life, Chemotherapy, Occupational Therapy.

• Abstract:

  Introduction: Occupational therapy (OT) supports the therapeutic bond and the development of skills or functions. Chemotherapy (CT) can alter the occupational roles (OP) health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of cancer patients, but it has not been established whether OT performed during CT can act to rescue OP and HRQoL. Objective: To evaluate changes in OP and HRQoL through OT in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: A prospective, longitudinal and quantitative study was carried out. The sociodemographic profile at diagnosis was obtained from medical records. Four to six sessions of OT were carried out during the administration of QT. The therapeutic interventions were: making a mandala, reflecting on music, playing bingo, dominoes and painting a medium-density fiberboard box. HRQoL OPs were identified on the basis of the human occupation model (MOH) OP list and the SF-36 and FACT-F QoL questionnaires, respectively, before and at the end of chemotherapy treatment. Results: 38 patients were selected and 35 (92%) completed the study procedures. The mean age of the patients was 59 years, and 58% of them were male. The patients underwent adjuvant, neoadjuvant or palliative QT. We observed a change in OP, improvement in the pain domain and functional capacity in HRQoL after the OT intervention. In terms of HRQoL, women experienced changes in social/family well-being and social aspects, and the older they got, the lower their functional well-being. Conclusions: OT gave a new meaning to the OP and improved the HRQoL of patients with RCC treated with chemotherapy.