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Health-related quality of life in patients with lymphoedema - a cross-sectional study

Klernäs, Pia LU ; Johnsson, Aina ; Horstmann, Vibeke LU and Johansson, Karin LU (2018) In Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences 32(2). p.634-644
Abstract

Introduction: Lymphoedema may cause complex problems that can strongly influence patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The main purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of lymphoedema on HRQoL in patients with varying forms of lymphoedema. Methods: The Lymphoedema Quality of Life Inventory (LyQLI), measuring three domains, physical, psychosocial and practical, and the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36), measuring eight health domains, were sent to 200 lymphoedema patients. Out of those who answered both questionnaires, 88 patients had lymphoedema secondary to cancer treatment and they additionally received the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale-General (FACT-G). The relation between... (More)

Introduction: Lymphoedema may cause complex problems that can strongly influence patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The main purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of lymphoedema on HRQoL in patients with varying forms of lymphoedema. Methods: The Lymphoedema Quality of Life Inventory (LyQLI), measuring three domains, physical, psychosocial and practical, and the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36), measuring eight health domains, were sent to 200 lymphoedema patients. Out of those who answered both questionnaires, 88 patients had lymphoedema secondary to cancer treatment and they additionally received the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale-General (FACT-G). The relation between continuous variables and the three domains were analysed by Spearman's correlation coefficients, and Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyse categorical variables. Results: Altogether 129 patients completed the LyQLI and SF-36 and 79 of them also completed FACT-G. Twenty per cent had a high mean score (≥2.0) in at least one domain of the LyQLI, thus having a low HRQoL. Lower HRQoL was found in the practical domain of LyQLI in patients with lower limb lymphoedema compared to patient with lymphoedema in upper limb or head/neck (p = 0.002) and in patients working part-time compared to patients working full-time (p = 0.005). The impact on HRQoL tended to decrease with age, with a significant correlation in the psychosocial domain (rs = 0.194, p = 0.028). Compared with the general Swedish population, patients with lymphoedema scored significantly lower in general health (p = 0.006), vitality (p = 0.002) and social functioning (p = 0.025) assessed by the SF-36. From a cancer-specific view, HRQoL was similar to other Swedish studies using the FACT-G. Conclusions: This study indicates that about 20% of the patients with lymphoedema had major impact on their HRQoL. More effort and research is needed to identify, understand and support groups of patients with severe lymphoedema-related problems.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Disease-specific instrument, Health-related quality of life, Primary lymphoedema, Quality of life, Secondary lymphoedema
in
Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences
volume
32
issue
2
pages
634 - 644
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:28892182
  • scopus:85029282272
ISSN
0283-9318
DOI
10.1111/scs.12488
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9e6a6730-cf7e-4b47-9990-84266a0d7eda
date added to LUP
2017-10-10 12:49:23
date last changed
2024-06-24 01:54:05
@article{9e6a6730-cf7e-4b47-9990-84266a0d7eda,
  abstract     = {{<p>Introduction: Lymphoedema may cause complex problems that can strongly influence patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The main purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of lymphoedema on HRQoL in patients with varying forms of lymphoedema. Methods: The Lymphoedema Quality of Life Inventory (LyQLI), measuring three domains, physical, psychosocial and practical, and the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36), measuring eight health domains, were sent to 200 lymphoedema patients. Out of those who answered both questionnaires, 88 patients had lymphoedema secondary to cancer treatment and they additionally received the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale-General (FACT-G). The relation between continuous variables and the three domains were analysed by Spearman's correlation coefficients, and Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyse categorical variables. Results: Altogether 129 patients completed the LyQLI and SF-36 and 79 of them also completed FACT-G. Twenty per cent had a high mean score (≥2.0) in at least one domain of the LyQLI, thus having a low HRQoL. Lower HRQoL was found in the practical domain of LyQLI in patients with lower limb lymphoedema compared to patient with lymphoedema in upper limb or head/neck (p = 0.002) and in patients working part-time compared to patients working full-time (p = 0.005). The impact on HRQoL tended to decrease with age, with a significant correlation in the psychosocial domain (r<sub>s</sub> = 0.194, p = 0.028). Compared with the general Swedish population, patients with lymphoedema scored significantly lower in general health (p = 0.006), vitality (p = 0.002) and social functioning (p = 0.025) assessed by the SF-36. From a cancer-specific view, HRQoL was similar to other Swedish studies using the FACT-G. Conclusions: This study indicates that about 20% of the patients with lymphoedema had major impact on their HRQoL. More effort and research is needed to identify, understand and support groups of patients with severe lymphoedema-related problems.</p>}},
  author       = {{Klernäs, Pia and Johnsson, Aina and Horstmann, Vibeke and Johansson, Karin}},
  issn         = {{0283-9318}},
  keywords     = {{Disease-specific instrument; Health-related quality of life; Primary lymphoedema; Quality of life; Secondary lymphoedema}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{634--644}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences}},
  title        = {{Health-related quality of life in patients with lymphoedema - a cross-sectional study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/scs.12488}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/scs.12488}},
  volume       = {{32}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}