Quality of life in dysphagia and functional performance of cancer patients in palliative care.

Purpose: To correlate the functional performance and impact of dysphagia on the quality of life of cancer patients in palliative care.
Methods: This cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted at the outpatient clinic and oncology ward of a university hospital. Inclusion criteria required patients to respond positively to the question: "Do you have difficulty or problems swallowing?". Patients were excluded if they had been diagnosed with head and neck cancer, were unable to answer questionnaires due to actively dying status, were in a state of drowsiness, experienced extreme pain and systemic instability, or if data collection instruments were incomplete. Two instruments were used in their Brazilian Portuguese versions: the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) and the M. D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI). The variables were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, with Pearson's correlation used at a 5% significance level.
Results: The sample consisted of 39 participants, with an average age of 65.3 years, of whom 24 (61.5%) were women. The most frequent neoplasm sites were the pancreas and stomach. The results of the PPS indicated that the average patient had reduced ambulation and inability to work, but maintained independence in self-care, with a complete level of swallowing and consciousness. The MDADI showed an average degree of limitation. Outpatients exhibited a moderate correlation between the MDADI result and the level of functionality according to the PPS.
Conclusion: Cancer patients at the palliative care outpatient clinic demonstrated a correlation between functional performance and the impact of dysphagia on quality of life.