Frequency of headache in oncology patients undergoing radiotherapy
The aim of the study was to determine frequency of headaches in oncology patients undergoing radiotherapy. We performed a multicenter clinical descriptive cross-sectional study approved by the Ethics Committee of the Clinical Center in Kragujevac. The study involved oncology patients who were treated with radiotherapy in the period between 01.04.2016. to 05.01.2016. in the Departments of Radiotherapy Centre for Oncology and Radiology, Clinical Center in Kragujevac and the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade. The frequency of headaches was analyzed for the last three months in oncology patients undergoing radiotherapy. For statistical analysis we used the SPSS program, version 18th. Socio-demographic data, medical history data and those collected by questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study was involved 81 patients. It was found that 67.9% of oncology patients had a headache the last three months during the oncological treatment, an average of 4.01±5.693 days. Even 22.2% oncology patients had heavy loss of life and working capacity in the last three months. On a visual-analogue scale, intensity of headache was an average of 34.57±35.283. Attention needs to be paid to the education of the patient that the pain does not have to be their everyday and there are excellent opportunities for treatment, whether or not the headache associated with malignant disease. Implementation of strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of headaches in oncology patients will impact positively on improving the quality of life of these patients.