Ulrich Wedding1, Bernd Röhrig, Ludger Pientka, Klaus Höffken. 1. Internal Medicine, Department of Haematology and Medical Oncology, Friedrich Schiller University, Erlanger Allee 101, Jena 07747, Germany. ulrich.wedding@med.uni-jena.de
Abstract
PURPOSE: Quality of life (QoL) of patients with cancer is a major area of concern for both patients and their physicians. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We investigated QoL with the EORTC-QLQ-C30 questionnaire with reference to anaemia and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) prior to the start of chemotherapy in 477 patients: 195 elderly cancer patients (Group A), 152 younger cancer patients (Group B), and 130 patients aged 60 years or older admitted for non-cancer related disorders (Group C). RESULTS: In univariate analysis QoL was significantly worse in 8 out of 15 scales in anaemic compared to non anaemic patients in Group A, in 2 in Group B, and in 7 in Group C. In ANOVA analysis including KPS and haemoglobin status, the influence of anaemia and KPS independently persists in most scales in Group A, in some in Group C, but not in Group B. CONCLUSIONS: Anaemia and functional impairment are independently related to QoL in elderly cancer and elderly medical patients, but not in younger cancer patients.
PURPOSE: Quality of life (QoL) of patients with cancer is a major area of concern for both patients and their physicians. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We investigated QoL with the EORTC-QLQ-C30 questionnaire with reference to anaemia and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) prior to the start of chemotherapy in 477 patients: 195 elderly cancerpatients (Group A), 152 younger cancerpatients (Group B), and 130 patients aged 60 years or older admitted for non-cancer related disorders (Group C). RESULTS: In univariate analysis QoL was significantly worse in 8 out of 15 scales in anaemic compared to non anaemic patients in Group A, in 2 in Group B, and in 7 in Group C. In ANOVA analysis including KPS and haemoglobin status, the influence of anaemia and KPS independently persists in most scales in Group A, in some in Group C, but not in Group B. CONCLUSIONS:Anaemia and functional impairment are independently related to QoL in elderly cancer and elderly medical patients, but not in younger cancerpatients.
Authors: N K Aaronson; S Ahmedzai; B Bergman; M Bullinger; A Cull; N J Duez; A Filiberti; H Flechtner; S B Fleishman; J C de Haes Journal: J Natl Cancer Inst Date: 1993-03-03 Impact factor: 13.506