Quality of Life in Patients Treated with Palliative Radiotherapy for Advanced Lung Cancer and Lung Metastases

Overview

Journal World J Oncol

Specialty Oncology

Date 2017 Nov 18

PMID 29147227

Authors

Kaitlin Koo

Liang Zeng

Florencia Jon

Emily Chen

Kristopher Dennis

Lori Holden

Liying Zhang

Amanda Caissie

Janet Nguyen

May Tsao

Elizabeth Barnes

Cyril Danjoux

Arjun Sahgal

Edward Chow

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate quality of life (QOL) in patients receiving palliative radiotherapy (RT) for advanced lung cancer/lung metastases using the EORTC QLQ-LC13 and the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL questionnaires.

Methods: Patients who received palliative RT for lung metastases or advanced lung cancer between November 2007 and October 2010 completed the EORTC QLQ-LC13 and the QLQ-C15-PAL at baseline prior to RT, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks post-treatment. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank test was used to compare QOL scores between baseline and each follow-up period.

Results: Thirty-one patients with advanced lung disease were included in this study; 61% of participants were male and 39% were female. The median age was 69 years (range 38 - 85), and median KPS and PPS scores at baseline were both 70 (range 30 - 90). All patients received radiotherapy to the lung. None of the QLQ-LC13 scores significantly improved or deteriorated at any follow-up. Of the QLQ-C15-PAL scales, fatigue, pain, insomnia and physical functioning significantly improved at their respective follow-ups.

Conclusions: This was the first study to use the EORTC QLQ-LC13 in conjunction with the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL questionnaires. Future studies should continue to incorporate quality of life assessment tools specific to disease characteristics in advanced cancer patients.

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