INTRODUCTION: The impact of chemotherapy-induced anemia on the quality of life (QOL) of patients with lung cancer has been little studied. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the feasibility of measuring QOL among patients receiving chemotherapy for lung cancer, and the possible correlation of QOL with the haemoglobin level. METHODS: This was a prospective study of 53 patients starting chemotherapy (total 155 cycles); QOL was measured with the specific Fact-An scale. RESULTS: The mean haemoglobin level before treatment was 13.1+/-2.3 g/dl. During chemotherapy 45.3% of patients received erythrocytic growth factors and 15.1% were transfused; 26.4% of patients refused to answer or could not answer the QOL questionnaire. There was a strong correlation between the Hb level and overall QOL (r=0.343, p=0.0004), as well as the physical and functional subscales (but not the cognitive and social subscales). CONCLUSIONS: Although QOL could not be measured in one-quarter of cases, it was clearly affected by anaemia, which supports a strategy of early diagnosis and management of anaemia due to chemotherapy for lung cancer.
INTRODUCTION: The impact of chemotherapy-induced anemia on the quality of life (QOL) of patients with lung cancer has been little studied. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the feasibility of measuring QOL among patients receiving chemotherapy for lung cancer, and the possible correlation of QOL with the haemoglobin level. METHODS: This was a prospective study of 53 patients starting chemotherapy (total 155 cycles); QOL was measured with the specific Fact-An scale. RESULTS: The mean haemoglobin level before treatment was 13.1+/-2.3 g/dl. During chemotherapy 45.3% of patients received erythrocytic growth factors and 15.1% were transfused; 26.4% of patients refused to answer or could not answer the QOL questionnaire. There was a strong correlation between the Hb level and overall QOL (r=0.343, p=0.0004), as well as the physical and functional subscales (but not the cognitive and social subscales). CONCLUSIONS: Although QOL could not be measured in one-quarter of cases, it was clearly affected by anaemia, which supports a strategy of early diagnosis and management of anaemia due to chemotherapy for lung cancer.