Background: A cancer diagnosis has a significant impact on a person's life, both physically and emotionally. However, the oncology patients' QoL (QoL) at different stages of the disease has been under investigated.
Aim: To assess and compare the QoL in three groups of oncology patients.
Methods: A comparative study was carried out in an outpatient care service at a public hospital in the state of São Paulo. Data collection involved the use of the Palliative Performance Scale and the McGill QoL Questionnaire.
Results: Most participants were women, Catholic and living with a partner. The Palliative Performance Scale revealed a predominance of stable patients (score: ≥70 points). Overall, palliative care patients had lower QoL scores compared to the other groups (p<0.01).
Conclusion: QoL was worse among palliative care patients. Advanced age, being in palliative care, and have a low-income were negatively associated with a patient's QoL.
Keywords: QoL; antineoplastic agents; humanisation; nursing of care; palliative care.