A Platform for Assessing Cancer Patients’ Quality of Life - New Contributions in Information Systems and Technologies - page 52

place, in the oncologic institution, where the monitors received the patients, recording
clinical data on the platform. At the same time the patients answered, also on the
platform, to the quality of life questionnaires. The report on the patients' quality of life
is printed at the end of the evaluation process and attached to what is sent to the
physician at the time of consultation. The variables that were acquired and analyzed
were indicated by physicians, specialists on cancer from the Otorhinolaryngology and
Head and Neck services. Total number of independent variables is 18 and the dependent
variable is the total score of the QoL obtained by the questionnaires. Table 1 presents
the independent variables. The dependent variable is the Quality of Life Score obtained
by the questionnaires and the Rasch model. The variation of the score ranges from -7 to
7 and a classification can be made: [-7, -2[ - Bad quality of life; [-2, 2] - Normal quality
of life and ]2, 7] - Good quality of life. This classification was presented by the
oncologic institution physicians after analyzing the results of the Rasch model and
patients. This classification approach is friendlier for the physicians instead of using the
QoL score.

Table 1. Independent Variables

Independent Variables

Variables Type Options

0. Analphabetic; 1. 1 st cycle; 2. 2 nd cycle; 3.
3 rd cycle; 4. Frequency of high school; 5.
High school; 6. Frequency of BSc; 7. BSc;
8. MSc; 9. PhD

Educational Level Ordinal

Marital Status Nominal 0. Alone; 1. accompanied

0. Not a smoker; 1. 1-10; 2. 11-20; 3. 21-
30; 4. 31-40; 5. ≥ 41

Years of Smoking Ordinal

0. None; 1. 1-10; 2. 11-20; 3. 21-40; 4. 41-
60; 5. ≥ 61

Number of cigarettes per day Ordinal

0. None; 1. One; 2. 2-5; 3. 6-10; 4. 11-20;
5. ≥ 21

Years of drinking Ordinal

Liters of beer per day Ordinal 0. None; 1. 1; 2. 2; 3. 3-5; 4. 6-10; 5. ≥ 11

Liters of hard alcohol per day Ordinal 0.None; 1. 1; 2. 2; 3. 3-5; 4. 6-10; 5. ≥ 11

Size Ordinal 0. TX; 1. T0; 2. T1; 3. T2; 4. T3; 5. T4

Local metastasis Ordinal 0. NX; 1. N0; 2. N1; 3. N2; 4. N3

Metastasis distance Ordinal 0. MX; 1. M0; 2. M1

Histopathological diagnosis Ordinal 0-9

Tracheostomy Nominal 0. Yes; 1. No

Supply Type Nominal 0. Per-os; 1. PEG; 2. SNG

0. None; 1. 1; 2. 2; 3. 3-5; 4. 6-10; 5. ≥ 11

Liters of wine per day Ordinal

Smoking Nominal 0. Smoker; 1. Ex-smoker; 2. Non smoker

Years of ex-smoker Ordinal 0.0-1; 1. 2-5; 2. 6-10; 3. 11-15; 4. ≥ 16

0. 1 st appointment; 1. group appointment;
2. 3 months; 3. 6 months; 4. 9 months; 5. 1
year; 6. 2 years; 7. 3 years; 8. 4 years; 9. 5
years; 10. > 5

Moment Ordinal

Voice prosthesis Nominal 0. Yes; 1. No