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Quality of life in advanced cancer patients: the impact of sociodemographic and medical characteristics

Jordhoy, M S ; Fayers, P ; Loge, J H ; Saltnes, T ; Ahlner-Elmqvist, Marianne LU and Kaasa, S (2001) In British Journal of Cancer 85(10). p.1478-1485
Abstract
Population-based surveys have shown that health-related quality of life (HRQL) is influenced by patients' characteristics such as age, gender, living situation and diagnoses. The present study explores the impact of such factors on the HRQL of severely ill cancer patients. The study sample included 395 cancer patients who participated in a cluster randomised trial of palliative care. Median survival was 13 weeks. HRQL assessments (using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire) were compared among subgroups of relevant patients' characteristics (ANOVA), and the significance of individual covariates was explored by multivariate linear regression. Most EORTC QLQ-C30 scores showed minor differences between genders. Higher age was associated with less... (More)
Population-based surveys have shown that health-related quality of life (HRQL) is influenced by patients' characteristics such as age, gender, living situation and diagnoses. The present study explores the impact of such factors on the HRQL of severely ill cancer patients. The study sample included 395 cancer patients who participated in a cluster randomised trial of palliative care. Median survival was 13 weeks. HRQL assessments (using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire) were compared among subgroups of relevant patients' characteristics (ANOVA), and the significance of individual covariates was explored by multivariate linear regression. Most EORTC QLQ-C30 scores showed minor differences between genders. Higher age was associated with less sleeping disturbance, less pain and better emotional functioning. No positive impact of living with a partner was found. Performance status and/or time from assessment to death were significantly associated with most functioning and symptom scores. We concluded that although the overall impact of sociodemographic characteristics may seem less important to HRQL scores among advanced cancer patients than in general populations, age and gender should be allowed for. Performance status and closeness to death also need to be reported. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
palliative care, cancer, quality of life, predictive factor
in
British Journal of Cancer
volume
85
issue
10
pages
1478 - 1485
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:11720432
  • scopus:0035900822
ISSN
1532-1827
DOI
10.1054/bjoc.2001.2116
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
cc1176ab-40bc-4aec-9c3a-07d547437508 (old id 1120631)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:27:51
date last changed
2022-03-21 04:43:57
@article{cc1176ab-40bc-4aec-9c3a-07d547437508,
  abstract     = {{Population-based surveys have shown that health-related quality of life (HRQL) is influenced by patients' characteristics such as age, gender, living situation and diagnoses. The present study explores the impact of such factors on the HRQL of severely ill cancer patients. The study sample included 395 cancer patients who participated in a cluster randomised trial of palliative care. Median survival was 13 weeks. HRQL assessments (using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire) were compared among subgroups of relevant patients' characteristics (ANOVA), and the significance of individual covariates was explored by multivariate linear regression. Most EORTC QLQ-C30 scores showed minor differences between genders. Higher age was associated with less sleeping disturbance, less pain and better emotional functioning. No positive impact of living with a partner was found. Performance status and/or time from assessment to death were significantly associated with most functioning and symptom scores. We concluded that although the overall impact of sociodemographic characteristics may seem less important to HRQL scores among advanced cancer patients than in general populations, age and gender should be allowed for. Performance status and closeness to death also need to be reported.}},
  author       = {{Jordhoy, M S and Fayers, P and Loge, J H and Saltnes, T and Ahlner-Elmqvist, Marianne and Kaasa, S}},
  issn         = {{1532-1827}},
  keywords     = {{palliative care; cancer; quality of life; predictive factor}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{10}},
  pages        = {{1478--1485}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{British Journal of Cancer}},
  title        = {{Quality of life in advanced cancer patients: the impact of sociodemographic and medical characteristics}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1054/bjoc.2001.2116}},
  doi          = {{10.1054/bjoc.2001.2116}},
  volume       = {{85}},
  year         = {{2001}},
}