Health Related Quality of Life and Associated Factors Among Patients With Urinary Bladder Cancer at Mulago National Referral Hospital- a Cross Sectional Study

Background: Health related quality of life in patients with urinary bladder cancer is important to measure outcomes beyond morbidity and biological functioning. In 2020, Bladder cancer (BC) contributed to 3% of all cancer worldwide. Globocan 2018 estimated the prevalence of BC in Uganda at 0.8% with a mortality of 75.9%. BC affects the overall quality of life among patients with several factors influencing this outcome. Our aim was to determine the overall health related quality of life and associated factors among patients with BC in our setting in MNRH in Uganda. Methods: : A sample of 111 patients, with histological diagnosis of BC, attending urology clinic or admitted to the urology ward in MNRH were recruited consecutively over a 4-month period. Data was collected by administering the EORTC -QLQ C-30 questionnaire which is a standard interviewer-administered, internationally accepted tool that is validated in Uganda in addition to an associated factors questionnaire. This tool assessed five domains, with symptoms scale and overall QOL. The mean and standard deviation of the overall quality of life were obtained to determine the mean HRQOL. Using simple linear regression, the factors associated with the mean HRQOL were assessed. Results: A total of 111 participants were analyzed and their mean age was 56.6 (SD± 17.3). Most were males 73 (65.8%) and most had attained a primary level of education 55 (49.5%). Most had no comorbidities 65 (58.6%). The mean HRQOL among patients with BC in MNRH was found to be 36.2%(±13.5). The mean duration with symptoms was 13.5 months (SD± 15.3) Conclusion: Patients with bladder cancer in MNRH face a unique burden with their diagnosis and have been found to have a very low HRQOL which is significantly associated with increasing age and reduced duration of symptoms. This calls for timely interventions with holistic management and lifelong follow up of these patients.