www.tjprc.org editor@tjprc.org International Journal of Environment, Ecology, Family and Urban Studies (IJEEFUS) ISSN(P): 2250-0065; ISSN(E): 2321-0109 Vol. 4, Issue 6, Dec 2014, 45-54 © TJPRC Pvt. Ltd. IMPACT OF AGE ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OESOPHAGUS CANCER PATIENTS IN ASSAM MANASH PRATIM BARMAN 1 , JITEN HAZARIKA 2 & ANIL KALITA 3 1 Assistant Professor, Department of Statistics, Dibrugarh University, Assam, India 2 Professor, Department of Statistics, Dibrugarh University, Assam, India 3 Senior Medical Officer, Dibrugarh University, Assam, India ABSTRACT The incidence and mortality of oesophagus cancer patients in Assam is very high which necessatitates the improvement of rehabilitation and palliative care condition on them. Thus the study of Quality of life is very essential among them which usually measure the status of rehabilitation and palliative care. Inspiring from these facts, a study was initiated to assess the quality of life condition of oesohagus cancer patients of Assam by using EORTC QLQ-C30 quality of life measuring instrument. The study was conducted in Assam Medical College and Hospital during 2010 and 2011. This paper tries to focus on the impact of age on the quality of life of patients. A total of 153 oeophagus cancer patients were included in the study. Quality of life condition was evaluated before treatment and after treatment. The results of the study showed that before treatment almost all the different dimension of functional scale and symptom scale have influenced on age. But after treatment, patients belonging to different age groups reported similar pattern of quality of life on different functional and symptom scales. This may be due to the fact that cancer directed treatments are usually related with different side effects which side lines the influence of age on quality of life. KEYWORDS: EORTC QLQ-C30, Kruskal-Wallis H Test, Assam 1. INTRODUCTION The incidence of oesophagus cancer is very high in the state of Assam. National Cancer Registry Programme, 2013 reported that the incidence of oesophagus cancer is highest among male patients in the cancer registries of Kamrup (14.5%), Dibrugarh (14.7%) and Chachar (8.7) district during 2009-11(National Cancer Registry Programe, 2013). Oesophagus cancer is also a leading site among the female population of Assam. Also reports published by National Cancer Registry Programme (PBCR) from time to time showed that with respect to incidence and mortality, it is one of the major tobacco related sites both in males and females (National Cancer Registry Programme, 2001; 2002; 2004; 2006; 2007; 2009). This high incidence of oesophaugs cancer in Assam may be mostly due to the typical food habit among the people residing here. Studies showed that betel nut chewing with or without tobacco, pickle consumption and a typical locally made food named Kalakhar consumed by the indigenous population of Assam are significant risk factors for oesophagus cancer in Assam (Phukan et al, 2001; Phukan et al,2001). The survival status which is a key indicator of quality of cancer care management is also quite poor in the state of Assam. Research showed that oesophagus cancer patients of Assam survive on the average 10.33 months (95% C.I. 7.79 to 12.88) only which is quite poor. Survival status of patients also vary with respect to different socio-economic and treatment characteristics (Barman et.al, 2012).