information for practice

news, new scholarship & more from around the world


advanced search

Prognostic value of quality of life measured after treatment on subsequent survival in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Abstract

Purpose  

Pretreatment quality of life (QoL) has been used to predict survival in cancer patients. In this study, we examined the prognostic
value of QoL measured after treatment on subsequent survival in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods  

We enrolled 273 patients with NPC who had been curatively treated for more than 1 year. The EORTC QLQ-C30 and H&N35 questionnaires
were completed 1 year after radiotherapy. The predictability of QoL variables on disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall
survival (OS) was analyzed using Cox’s proportional hazards models.

Results  

Twenty-nine (10.6 %) patients developed locoregional relapse and 27 (9.9 %) had distant metastasis after the QoL survey with
subsequent 5-year DSS and OS rates of 87.9 % and 84.0 %, respectively. Based on the QLQ-C30, scales of physical functioning,
fatigue, and appetite loss significantly predicted DSS and OS (p < 0.05). In the H&N35, only sexuality was significantly correlated with DSS and OS (p < 0.05). An increment of 10 points in physical functioning (HR: 0.69; 95 % CI: 0.48–0.90; p = 0.004) or a decline of 10 points in fatigue problems (HR: 1.40; 95 % CI: 1.19–1.61; p = 0.0002), appetite loss (HR: 1.21; 95 % CI: 1.03–1.40; p = 0.02), and sexuality (HR: 1.14; 95 % CI: 1.02–1.25; p = 0.019) was associated with better OS.

Conclusion  

Some QoL variables measured after the treatment provide prognostic value on subsequent survival in patients with NPC.

  • Content Type Journal Article
  • Pages 1-9
  • DOI 10.1007/s11136-012-0213-8
  • Authors
    • Wen-Ling Tsai, Department of Biotechnical Cosmetology, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Chih-Yen Chien, Department of Otolaryngology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Hsuan-Ying Huang, Department of Pathology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Kuan-Cho Liao, Department of Radiation Oncology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, 123 Ta-Pei Rd., Niao Sung District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
    • Fu-Min Fang, Department of Radiation Oncology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, 123 Ta-Pei Rd., Niao Sung District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan