OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate quality of life (QOL), anxiety, and depression in elderly people with cancer in the preoperative period at a referral hospital in oncology in Belém, Pará State, Brazil.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

This is a cross-sectional study with 82 elderly patients with cancer who were hospitalized in the preoperative period at the Hospital Ophir Loyola, from April to September 2019. The instruments used in the data collection were: SF-36 Health Survey questionnaire, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Beck Depression Inventory.

RESULTS:

In the assessment of QOL, considering the scores corresponding to the eight domains of the SF-36 questionnaire, the social aspects obtained the highest average. All participants had moderate (79.3%) or severe anxiety (20.7%). However, the majority (82.9%) did not present any degree of depression.

CONCLUSION:

Data of QOL, anxiety, and depression showed that it is essential to pay special attention to the subjectivities of the elderly, considering their health weaknesses.

        · abstract in Portuguese | Spanish     · text in English | Portuguese | Spanish     · English ( pdf ) | Spanish ( pdf ) | Portuguese ( pdf )