Health-related quality of life in multiple myeloma survivors treated with high dose chemotherapy followed by autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation: a retrospective analysis.

A pilot study analyses an effect of selected demographic, psychosocial and health aspects on quality of life (QoL) in multiple myeloma survivors treated with high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation (PBPCT). The total number of respondents with multiple myeloma treated with high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous PBPCT between years 2001-2003 at the Department of Clinical Haematology of the 2nd Department of Internal Medicine of Charles University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic was 32 (18 male, 14 female). The average age of respondents was 60 years old. The Czech version of an international generic European Quality of Life Questionnaire - Version EQ-5D was used. The effect of selected demographics, psychosocial and health aspects on QoL was determined by means of analysis of variance (ANOVA). The QoL questionnaires were evaluated by means of descriptive analysis. The above-mentioned aspects proved statistically significant dependence of QoL on respondents age and on smoking abuse. EQ-5D score (dimensions of QoL) and EQ-5D VAS (a subjective health condition) significantly decrease with increasing age and with smoking abuse. The effect of other aspects on QoL was not proven as statistically significant. Prevailing complaints in respondents with multiple myeloma were: 1. regular activity with complaints 81,2 % (26/32 respondents), 2. medium serious pain / discomfort 68,8 % (22/32 respondents), 3. movement with complaints 59 % (19/32 respondents), 4. medium serious anxiety / depression 59 % (19/32 respondents). The QoL in patients with multiple myeloma treated with high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous PBPCT was on low level (mean EQ-5D score was 68,9 %, mean EQ-5D VAS was 66,6 %). The results had shown that with an increasing age, the QoL of patients with multiple myeloma treated with high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous PBPCT, declines. The smokers and former smokers have lower QoL than non smokers. The global QoL in all studied patients with multiple myeloma treated with high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous PBPCT was on low level.