Polypharmacy and quality of life in Yemeni cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: A cross-sectional study.

Authors

Sayida Al-Jamei, Haneen Al-Ansi, Malak Albiel, Enas Al-Awadhi, Shaima Jihad, Amal Noman, Fadwa Alhayani, Rehab Alarhabi

Published in

PLOS global public health. Volume 6. Issue 9. Pages e0006281. Epub Sep 28, 2026.

Abstract

Polypharmacy is common among cancer patients receiving chemotherapy due to the need for multiple supportive medications. This study assessed the prevalence of non-oncological polypharmacy and its association with quality of life (QoL) among adult cancer patients in Yemen. A cross-sectional study was conducted between 1st December 2025 and 23rd February 2026 at the National Oncology Centre in Sana'a, Yemen. Adult patients (≥18 years) receiving chemotherapy were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and medical record review. Polypharmacy was defined as the use of ≥5 non-oncological medications and excessive polypharmacy as ≥10 medications. QoL was assessed using the Arabic version of the EORTC QLQ-C30. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, independent-sample t-tests, and multiple linear regression using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27. Among 234 participants, 63.2% were female and 47.6% were aged 31-50 years. Polypharmacy was highly prevalent: 94.9% used ≥5 non-oncological medications and 56.4% ≥ 10. Mean global QoL was 47.9 (SD 26.7). Patients reported substantial financial difficulties (mean 82.3), fatigue (61.1), and pain (59.6). QoL did not differ significantly between excessive polypharmacy groups (mean difference -3.35; 95% CI -10.58 to 3.87; p = 0.361). In multivariable analyses, female gender independently predicted lower QoL (B = -10.13; 95% CI: -18.19 to -2.07; p = 0.014) and higher non-oncological medication use (B = 1.18; 95% CI: 0.25 to 2.10; p = 0.013). Age ≥ 51 years and illiteracy showed borderline associations with lower QoL, while all other variables, including excessive polypharmacy (≥10 non-oncological medications), were not significantly associated with QoL. Non-oncological Polypharmacy is highly prevalent among Yemeni cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Although medication burden was substantial, it was not independently associated with QoL, whereas female gender predicted poorer outcomes.

PMID:
42804419
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 29 Sep 2026.

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