Assessment of Quality of Life among Cancer Patients in Darjeeling District of West Bengal

Background: Cancer imposes multidimensional burdens that extend beyond mortality to affect physical, psychological, social, and economic well-being.Data on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) from hill and semi-rural regions of India are limited.This study assessed quality of life (QoL) among cancer patients attending a tertiary center in Darjeeling using the EuroQol 5-dimension 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) instrument and examined associations with sociodemographic and disease-related factors.Objectives: To evaluate QoL in cancer patients at North Bengal Medical College and to identify sociodemographic and clinical correlates of EQ-5D-5L utility scores. Materials and methods:In this cross-sectional study (Jan-Mar 2025), 61 adult cancer patients who had received ≥2 cycles of chemotherapy or radiotherapy were recruited through systematic random sampling from the Radiotherapy Department.Data on sociodemographics, disease characteristics, and treatment were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire.Health-related quality of life was measured with EQ-5D-5L; utility scores and domain responses were analyzed.Associations were tested using appropriate tests; significance was defined as p < 0.05.Results: Among 61 cancer patients (mean age 53.3 ± 10.9; 59% male), literacy was low and the mean per-capita income Rs.5,028.6.Head-andneck and gastrointestinal cancers predominated; most were stage II-III.Anxiety/depression and pain were most affected; the mean EQ-5D-5L utility was 0.0122.Female gender and radiotherapy were linked to poorer utility, with implications for care.Other sociodemographic (age, income, diet, accessibility) and disease variables (primary site, stage) showed no statistically significant associations.Conclusions: Patients in this tertiary setting report substantial symptom and psychosocial burden, with women and those receiving radiotherapy particularly vulnerable to poorer HRQoL.Integrating psycho-oncology, proactive symptom control during radiotherapy, and gender-sensitive supportive care is recommended.Longitudinal studies are needed to elucidate causal pathways and inform targeted interventions.