• D E Ediebah, C Coens, E Zikos, C Quinten, J Ringash, M T King, J Schmucker von Koch, C Gotay, E Greimel, H Flechtner, J Weis, B B Reeve, E F Smit, M J B Taphoorn, and A Bottomley.
• Quality of Life Department, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer, Avenue Mounier, 83 b11, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
• Br. J. Cancer. 2014 May 13; 110 (10): 2427-33.

BackgroundLittle is known about whether changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores from baseline during treatment also predict survival, which we aim to investigate in this study.MethodsWe analysed data from 391 advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients enrolled in the EORTC 08975 study, which compared palliative chemotherapy regimens. HRQoL was assessed at baseline and after each chemotherapy cycle using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-LC13. The prognostic significance of HRQoL scores at baseline and their changes over time was assessed with Cox regression, after adjusting for clinical and socio-demographic variables.ResultsAfter controlling for covariates, every 10-point increase in baseline pain and dysphagia was associated with 11% and 12% increased risk of death with hazard ratios (HRs) of 1.11 and 1.12, respectively. Every 10-point improvement of physical function at baseline (HR=0.93) was associated with 7% lower risk of death. Every 10-point increase in pain (HR=1.08) was associated with 8% increased risk of death at cycle 1. Every 10-point increase in social function (HR=0.91) at cycle 2 was associated with 9% lower risk of death.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that changes in HRQoL scores from baseline during treatment, as measured on subscales of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-LC13, are significant prognostic factors for survival.

42 keywords...

hide…