Symptom Prevalence, Intensity, and Distress in Patients With Inoperable Lung Cancer in Relation to Time of Death

2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (34) ◽  
pp. 5381-5389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Tishelman ◽  
Lena-Marie Petersson ◽  
Lesley F. Degner ◽  
Mirjam A.G. Sprangers

Purpose To examine symptom prevalence, intensity, and association with distress in patients with inoperable lung cancer (LC), using time to death as point of reference. Patients and Methods A consecutive sample of 400 patients completed the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 plus a 13-item LC-specific scale and the Thurstone Scale of Symptom Distress–Lung Cancer at six time points during the first year after diagnosis. Patients were divided into subgroups, using data from the time point closest to death (< 1; 1 to 2; > 2 to 3; > 3 to 6; > 6 to 12; and > 12 months before death) for analysis. Results More than 50% of patients in all subgroups reported problems related to physical, role, and emotional functioning; fatigue; dyspnea; and cough. In general, functional levels were lower and symptoms higher in subgroups closer to death. Notably, clinically relevant differences were also found in role and social functioning and appetite loss between the two groups furthest from death. A consistent pattern was found among the six subgroups, with breathing, pain, and fatigue rated as the symptoms most associated with distress. Conclusion High prevalence of symptoms was found in all subgroups, with higher intensity in subgroups closer to death, indicating a need for prophylactic and proactive symptom management. Less concordance was found among symptom prevalence, intensity, and association with distress in subgroups further from death. Future studies should investigate longitudinal associations between symptoms with low intensity and high distress, and examine their clinical implications.

2010 ◽  
Vol 28 (11) ◽  
pp. 1942-1949 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Tishelman ◽  
Malin Lövgren ◽  
Eva Broberger ◽  
Katarina Hamberg ◽  
Mirjam A.G. Sprangers

Purpose Standardized questionnaires for patient-reported outcomes are generally composed of specified predetermined items, although other areas may also cause patients distress. We therefore studied reports of what was most distressing for 343 patients with inoperable lung cancer (LC) at six time points during the first year postdiagnosis and how these concerns were assessed by three quality-of-life and symptom questionnaires. Patients and Methods Qualitative analysis of patients' responses to the question “What do you find most distressing at present?” generated 20 categories, with 17 under the dimensions of “bodily distress,” “life situation with LC,” and “iatrogenic distress.” Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted. Results The majority of statements reported as most distressing related to somatic and psychosocial problems, with 26% of patients reporting an overarching form of distress instead of specific problems at some time point. Twenty-seven percent reported some facet of their contact with the health care system as causing them most distress. While 55% to 59% of concerns reported as most distressing were clearly assessed by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment for Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core-30 and Lung Cancer Module instruments, the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, and the modified Distress Screening Tool, iatrogenic distress is not specifically targeted by any of the three instruments examined. Conclusion Using this approach, several distressing issues were found to be commonly reported by this patient group but were not assessed by standardized questionnaires. This highlights the need to carefully consider choice of instrument in relation to study objectives and characteristics of the sample investigated and to consider complementary means of assessment in clinical practice.


Author(s):  
Rafael Turano Mota ◽  
Helder Márcio Ferreira Júnior ◽  
Fabiane Silva Pereira ◽  
Maria Aparecida Vieira ◽  
Simone de Melo Costa

Abstract Objective: To characterize scientific publications on the quality of life of people with lung cancer in order to explore current knowledge of the subject, with emphasis on assessment instruments and methodological aspects. Method: A scoping type literature review was performed. Articles were sought in the databases of the Virtual Health Library, in an integrative manner, with the descriptors: Quality of life and Lung Neoplasms, with no date of publication or language restrictions (n=138). The selection of articles was based on inclusion and exclusion criteria defined in the study proposal. Results: We included 18 publications published between 2006 and 2017, the majority (n = 10) of which had a cross-sectional design. Eight different instruments were used to evaluate the quality of life of patients with lung cancer, four of which were specific for people with cancer. There was a prevalence of the use of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Care Quality of Life Questionnaire - EORTC QLQ-C30 (n=8). Prospective studies (n=8) assessed quality of life before and after chemotherapy, physical therapy or pulmonary resection. The studies adopted different methodologies and provided conflicting results of quality of life. Cross-sectional studies with comparatively healthy subjects found an inferior quality of life for people with lung cancer. Conclusion: The scoping review contributed to the identification of the multiple evaluated instruments, both generic and specific. It found a lack of homogeneity in the methodological approaches of the studies. Further prospective studies with a specific instrument and methodological standardization to evaluate the quality of life of people with lung cancer are recommended.


2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moyra E. Mills ◽  
Liam J. Murray ◽  
Brian T. Johnston ◽  
Chris Cardwell ◽  
Michael Donnelly

Purpose To examine the effect of weekly completion of a patient-held quality-of-life (QOL) diary in routine oncology practice for palliative care patients. Patients and Methods In a pragmatic randomized controlled trial, 115 patients with inoperable lung cancer were randomly assigned to receive either standard care or a structured QOL diary (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 and the related lung cancer module LC13) that they completed at home each week for 16 weeks. Patients were encouraged to share the QOL information with health professionals involved in their care. Changes in QOL over time (measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Lung questionnaire and the Palliative Care Quality of Life Index), discussion of patient problems, and satisfaction with communication and general care were assessed at baseline and at 2 and 4 months after baseline. Results Analysis of QOL indicated a small but consistent difference between patients in the diary group and the standard care group. The diary group had a poorer QOL in many domains. Two different QOL summary scores (total and overall QOL) indicated a statistically significant between-group difference. No effects were found in relation to satisfaction with care, communication, or the discussion of patient problems. Conclusion The regular completion of a QOL questionnaire without appropriate feedback to health care professionals and without the provision of appropriate support may have a negative impact on inoperable lung cancer patients. Further research should focus on identifying features such as feedback loops that are required for the successful and meaningful use of QOL questionnaires in routine patient care.


Author(s):  
Dixie Dennis ◽  
Terence Hicks

The major purpose of this study was to conduct a baseline investigation of self-rated health behavior and quality of life among first-year and non-first-year college students. The authors used a quality of life questionnaire that was designed to gauge college students' health status, lifestyle, mental health, and living conditions. Results from this study were indicated that there were significan differences among health behavior patterns between first-year and non-first-year college students. Most importantly, this study provides compelling information regarding the physical and psychological health behaviors among a mostly African American student population who attended a historical Black university in North Carolina. Implications for university student personnel, counselors, and faculty are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julien Mazieres ◽  
Dariusz Kowalski ◽  
Alexander Luft ◽  
David Vicente ◽  
Ali Tafreshi ◽  
...  

PURPOSE In the phase 3 KEYNOTE-407 study, the addition of pembrolizumab to carboplatin-paclitaxel/nab-paclitaxel significantly improved overall survival, progression-free survival, and objective response rate in patients with previously untreated metastatic squamous non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with little impact on severe toxicity. We present patient-reported outcomes (PROs) from KEYNOTE-407. METHODS Patients were randomly assigned to receive 4 cycles of pembrolizumab 200 mg or placebo once every 3 weeks plus carboplatin plus paclitaxel or nab-paclitaxel, followed by pembrolizumab or placebo for an additional 31 cycles. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was evaluated using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (QLQ-C30) and Quality of Life Questionnaire-Lung Cancer Module 13 (QLQ-LC13). Key PRO endpoints were change from baseline to weeks 9 and 18 (during and after platinum therapy) in the QLQ-C30 global health status/quality of life (GHS/QoL) score and time to deterioration in the composite endpoint of cough, chest pain, or dyspnea from the QLQ-C30 and QLQ-LC13. Two-sided, nominal P values are provided. RESULTS A total of 554 and 553 patients completed ≥ 1 QLQ-C30 or ≥ 1 QLQ-LC13 assessment, respectively. GHS/QoL score improved for the pembrolizumab-combination group (least squares [LS] mean [95% CI] change from baseline: week 9, 1.8 [−0.9 to 4.4]; week 18, 4.3 [1.7 to 6.9]) and deteriorated in the placebo-combination group (week 9, −1.8 [−4.4 to 0.7]; week 18, −0.57 [−3.3 to 2.2]). Between-group differences were improved for the pembrolizumab-combination group (difference in LS mean scores: week 9, 3.6 [95% CI, 0.3 to 6.9], nominal P = .0337; week 18, 4.9 [1.4 to 8.3], nominal P = .0060). Median time to deterioration in cough, chest pain, or dyspnea was not reached in either group (hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.58 to 1.06]; nominal P = .125). CONCLUSION Addition of pembrolizumab to chemotherapy maintained or improved HRQoL measurements relative to baseline and improved HRQoL versus chemotherapy alone at weeks 9 and 18. These results support use of pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy as first-line therapy for metastatic squamous NSCLC.


Trials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongyu Yue ◽  
Shuang Zhou ◽  
Huangan Wu ◽  
Xuan Yin ◽  
Shanshan Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Cancer-related insomnia (CRI) is one of the most prevalent complaints among cancer survivors and severely impairs patients’ quality of life. As a popular non-pharmacological alternative treatment, acupuncture provides a good clinical curative effect on insomnia. The aim of this trial is to evaluate efficacy and safety of electro-acupuncture on insomnia in patients with lung cancer. Method This is a protocol for a multicenter randomized single-blinded sham-controlled trial. We will randomly assign 252 eligible patients with lung cancer-related insomnia into two groups at a ratio of 1:1, the treatment group (EA) and the control group (sham EA). All treatment will be given 3 times per week for 8 weeks, and a 12-week follow-up will be conducted. The primary outcome will be measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The secondary outcomes will include sleep parameters recorded from the actigraphy, scores from Quality of Life Questionnaire Core-30 (QLQ-C30), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). All adverse effects during the trial will be assessed by the Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (TESS). All analyses will be based on ITT principle and performed with the statistical software SPSS (version 24.0) by t test, rank-sum test, chi-square, and so on. A two-sided significance level will be set at 5%. Discussion This large-sample trial protocol will evaluate the efficacy of electro-acupuncture on insomnia in patients with lung cancer. This protocol, if proven to be effective, will contribute to filling the gap in treatment options in the CRI field and provide a promising intervention for insomnia in lung cancer survivors. Trial registration ChiCTR ChiCTR1900026395. Registered on 8 October 2019, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=44068


2004 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 801-810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stein Sundstrøm ◽  
Roy Bremnes ◽  
Ulf Aasebø ◽  
Steinar Aamdal ◽  
Reidulv Hatlevoll ◽  
...  

Purpose To investigate whether the effect of hypofractionated thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) is comparable to more standard fractionated radiotherapy (RT) in advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and Methods A total of 421 patients with locally advanced stage III or stage IV NSCLC tumors were included. Inclusion criteria were inoperable, disease too advanced for curative radiotherapy, and chest symptoms or central tumor threatening the airways. Patients were randomly assigned to three arms: A, 17 Gy per two fractions (n = 146); B, 42 Gy per 15 fractions (n = 145); and C, 50 Gy per 25 fractions (n = 130). Four hundred seven patients were eligible for the study; 395 patients (97%) participated in the health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) study. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ)-C30 and EORTC QLQ-lung cancer–specific module (LC13) were used to investigate airway symptom relief and changes in HRQOL. Assessments were performed before TRT and until week 54. Clinicians' assessments of symptom improvement were at 2, 6, and 14 weeks after completion of TRT. The patients were observed for a minimum of 3 years. Results Baseline prognostic data were equally distributed in the treatment groups. Patient compliance with respect to the HRQOL investigation was minimum 74%. HRQOL and symptom relief were equivalent in the treatment arms. No significant difference in survival among arms A, B, and C was found, with median survival 8.2, 7.0, and 6.8 months, respectively. Conclusion Our data indicate that protracted palliative TRT renders no improvement in symptom relief, HRQOL, or survival when compared with short-term hypofractionated treatment in advanced NSCLC.


2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 787-794 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priscila Isolani de Oliveira ◽  
Carlos Alberto de Castro Pereira ◽  
Angélica Gonçalves Silva Belasco ◽  
Ana Rita de Cássia Bettencourt

OBJECTIVE: this prospective study aimed to assess the quality of life related to health (QLRH) of patients with lung cancer after chemotherapy treatment. METHOD: The QLRH was assessed using the questionnaires Quality-of-Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (QLQ-C30) and Lung Cancer Module (LC13), version 3.0. RESULTS: the sample was made up of 11 women and 19 men, with an average age of 68 years (51-87 years). After the chemotherapy treatment, the authors observed a clinically-relevant improvement in general quality of life, as well as in the symptoms of dyspnea, insomnia, hemoptysis, cough, thoracic pain, pain in the arm/shoulder, and financial difficulty. There was a worsening on the functional scale which assesses role performance and symptoms of fatigue, nausea and vomiting, sensory neuropathy, pain in other parts, constipation, loss of appetite and alopecia. CONCLUSION: although the patients have an improvement of their QLRH and symptoms related to the lung cancer after the chemotherapy treatment, there was a worsening of the symptoms which resulted from the toxicity of the chemotherapy medications.


2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 18613-18613 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Pardo ◽  
A. Mena ◽  
A. Monleon ◽  
V. Macias ◽  
J. Sole ◽  
...  

18613 Background: Anorexia is a common and major problem in cancer patients. Its ethiology is multifactorial and has negative effects on pts QoL. Up to 30% of non-metastasic lung cancer pts receiving radiotherapy will develop anorexia during treatment. We conducted a randomized trial comparing the efficacy of two different doses of MA. The results of the first 130 pts included, presented at ASCO 2003, indicated that MA at doses of 600 mg/day is significantly more effective in the treatment of anorexia in these pts than low doses (320 mg/day) of MA. Here we present the results of the quality of life sub-study which purpose is to evaluate the effect of reversing anorexia in pts health related quality of life (HRQOL). Methods: From February 1999 to April 2003, 160 non-mestastatic lung cancer pts who developed anorexia during radiotherapy were randomized to receive either 320 mg/day or 600 mg/day of MA. All pts who developed anorexia filled up the EuroQuol (EQ-5D) quality of life questionnaire before treated with MA and the responders did it again when appetite was regained. The endpoint was improvement in pts HRQOL (defined as an increase > 5 mm in the EQVAS score between the second and first questionnaires). Results: The analysis of the EuroQuol (EQ-5D) questionnaires of the 131 pts who responded to treatment with MA shows that 106 pts (81%) had an improvement > 5 mm in the EQVAS score while 19 % did not. The difference is statistically significant (Binomial test: p < 0.0001). Regarding differences between the two series, 42 pts improved in the 320 mg arm versus 64 in the 600 mg arm which is not statistically significant (Fisher test: p = 0.501). Conclusions: Our results indicate that reversal of anorexia with MA has a clinically significant improvement in HRQOL in non-metastatic lung cancer pts undergoing radiation therapy. The absence of statistically significant differences between the two series may be due to the sample size. [Table: see text] No significant financial relationships to disclose.


Cancer ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 121 (24) ◽  
pp. 4300-4323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Koller ◽  
Sophie Warncke ◽  
Marianne J. Hjermstad ◽  
Juan Arraras ◽  
Cecilia Pompili ◽  
...  

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