Kathrin Kirchheiner1, Remi A Nout2, Agnieszka Czajka-Pepl3, Elisabeth Ponocny-Seliger4, Alina E Sturdza3, Johannes C Dimopoulos5, Wolfgang Dörr6, Richard Pötter6. 1. Department of Radiation Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna/General Hospital of Vienna, Austria. Electronic address: kathrin.kirchheiner@meduniwien.ac.at. 2. Department of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands. 3. Department of Radiation Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna/General Hospital of Vienna, Austria. 4. Department of Psychology, Sigmund Freud Private University, Vienna, Austria. 5. Department of Radiation Oncology, Metropolitan Hospital, Athens, Greece. 6. Department of Radiation Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna/General Hospital of Vienna, Austria; Christian Doppler Laboratory for Medical Radiation Research for Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) and patient reported symptoms (PRS) before, during and early after treatment with external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT), chemotherapy and image-guided adaptive brachytherapy (IGABT) for locally advanced cervical cancer. METHODS: In fifty consecutive patients, HR-QoL and PRS were prospectively assessed with the EORTC-QLQ-C30+CX24 questionnaire prior to and during treatment, one week after IGABT and three months thereafter. HR-QoL was compared to an age-matched, female normative reference population. Prevalence rates of individual PRS are presented and defined as "substantial", if reported as "quite a bit" or "very much". RESULTS: Global health status and physical and role functioning show a highly significant decline during treatment (p≤0.001), before returning to near the baseline levels three months after end of treatment. Compared to the reference population, the global health status and emotional and role functioning remain impaired. The most frequently reported substantial PRS during active treatment are: fatigue (78%), diarrhea (68%), urinary frequency (60%) and nausea (54%); these recover to some degree three months after end of treatment. However, fatigue remains increased (50%) and an onset of hot flashes (44%), sexual worries (38%) and limb edema (22%) is observed. CONCLUSIONS: Several impairments in HR-QoL and PRS were found during definitive radio(chemo)therapy with IGABT, with different patterns of progress over time and signs of recovery three months thereafter, although some aspects of functional HR-QoL remain impaired. These findings support a comprehensive patients' counseling on what to expect and how to organize professional, social and family life and plan additional support during this period.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) and patient reported symptoms (PRS) before, during and early after treatment with external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT), chemotherapy and image-guided adaptive brachytherapy (IGABT) for locally advanced cervical cancer. METHODS: In fifty consecutive patients, HR-QoL and PRS were prospectively assessed with the EORTC-QLQ-C30+CX24 questionnaire prior to and during treatment, one week after IGABT and three months thereafter. HR-QoL was compared to an age-matched, female normative reference population. Prevalence rates of individual PRS are presented and defined as "substantial", if reported as "quite a bit" or "very much". RESULTS: Global health status and physical and role functioning show a highly significant decline during treatment (p≤0.001), before returning to near the baseline levels three months after end of treatment. Compared to the reference population, the global health status and emotional and role functioning remain impaired. The most frequently reported substantial PRS during active treatment are: fatigue (78%), diarrhea (68%), urinary frequency (60%) and nausea (54%); these recover to some degree three months after end of treatment. However, fatigue remains increased (50%) and an onset of hot flashes (44%), sexual worries (38%) and limb edema (22%) is observed. CONCLUSIONS: Several impairments in HR-QoL and PRS were found during definitive radio(chemo)therapy with IGABT, with different patterns of progress over time and signs of recovery three months thereafter, although some aspects of functional HR-QoL remain impaired. These findings support a comprehensive patients' counseling on what to expect and how to organize professional, social and family life and plan additional support during this period.
Authors: L M Wiltink; M King; F Müller; M S Sousa; M Tang; A Pendlebury; J Pittman; N Roberts; L Mileshkin; R Mercieca-Bebber; M-A Tait; R Campbell; C Rutherford Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2020-06-18 Impact factor: 3.603
Authors: Junzo Chino; Christina M Annunziata; Sushil Beriwal; Lisa Bradfield; Beth A Erickson; Emma C Fields; KathrynJane Fitch; Matthew M Harkenrider; Christine H Holschneider; Mitchell Kamrava; Eric Leung; Lilie L Lin; Jyoti S Mayadev; Marc Morcos; Chika Nwachukwu; Daniel Petereit; Akila N Viswanathan Journal: Pract Radiat Oncol Date: 2020-05-18