Abstract
Malignant melanoma is the tenth most common cancer in South Africa. Cancer patients experience anxiety, distress and concerns about the terror of fatality, of grief, of reappearance of the illness, financial and physical boundaries. The requirement for support and assistance has previously been acknowledged and should be established as a fundamental element in the management of cancer patients. The occurrence of signs such as fatigue, exhaustion, sickness and discomfort have been identified to be closely related to psychological distress and low quality of life in these patients, accentuating the demand to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL).
The aim of this study was to determine the HRQOL among patients with malignant melanoma diagnoses. A quantitative research approach was adopted with a descriptive, non-experimental study design using validated and reliable questionnaires. The researcher employed a cross-sectional questionnaire approach by making use of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Melanoma (FACT-M) questionnaire to determine the HRQOL among patients with malignant melanoma diagnosis.
A snowballing sampling technique was used, and the sample size was 84 participants in Johannesburg and surrounding areas. Data was analysed through statistical analysis and adhere to ethical considerations of beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy and justice was abided to.
The study results indicate that patients living with malignant melanoma for five years or more had an improved HRQOL, meaning that they manage better with their social, emotional, functional and physical well-being. The group statistics of gender and educational levels indicate that there were no differences in their physical-, social-, and emotional well-being, which indicate that everyone experienced the same levels of stress, anxiety and financial impact. Recommendations for support groups, healthcare professionals, family members and newly diagnosed patients were discussed.
M.Tech. (Somatology)