Effect of Self-Care Guidelines on Quality of life for Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Radio Frequency Ablation

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered as one of the most challenging tumors with high incidence, prevalence and mortality rates. Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) is one of the emerging therapeutic modalities used for the minimally invasive treatment in the management of early-stage of HCC. Aim: This study aimed to assess the effect of self-care guidelines on quality of life for patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma undergoing Radio Frequency Ablation. Design: A quasi experimental design was used to achieve the aim of this study. Setting: The study was conducted at the outpatients’ clinics in Interventional & Vascular Radiology Unit affiliated to Ain Shams University Hospital Subject: A purposive sample of (50) patients with hepatocellular carcinoma; randomly allocated to study group (25) and control group (25) Tools: (I) Structured Interview Questionnaire for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing radio frequency ablation. It is composed of three parts. Socio-demographic characteristic, Assessment of Patients' medical health history and knowledge about HCC and RFA (pre /posttests), (II) Quality of life of cancer Survivors Questionnaire (pre /posttest), and (III) Self –care practices for patients with HCC undergoing RFA (pre /posttests). Results: There were statistically significant differences among the study and control groups as regards their total knowledge about hepatocellular carcinoma and radiofrequency ablation therapy pre and post implementation of self-care guidelines. As well there were highly statistically significant differences among both groups regarding total quality of life, pre and post implementation of self-care guidelines. Conclusion: There was a significant improvement on patients' knowledge, quality of life and self-care practices post implementation of self-care guidelines with a highly statistically significant difference at (P≤ 0.001) pre and post implementation of self-care guidelines among the study and control groups. Recommendations: Self-care guidelines should be applied in Interventional & Vascular Radiology Unit for patients with HCC and should be up-dated periodically to enhance self-care practices for those patients.