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Quality of life assessment through the EORTC questionnaires of colorectal cancer patients in advanced disease stages

Clinical and Translational Oncology volume 8, pages 664–671 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the present work is to evaluate Quality of Life in a group of colorectal cancer patients in advanced stages of their disease, along a standard chemotherapy treatment protocol, through the EORTC core questionnaire QLQ-C30 and the colorectal cancer module QLQ-CR38. These two questionnaires had previously been validated in our country. The present study has the novelty of its use during the chemotherapy treatment.

Materials and methods

A consecutive sample of 44 colon o rectal cancer patients in stage IV, from an initial group of 46 patients who were addressed, have filled in the questionnaires, in three moments during their treatment process. Clinical and demographic data have also been recorded. Quality of Life scores and changes in them among the three assessments have been calculated.

Results

The quality of life scores of patients who have followed the treatment have been >70 points (100) in most dimensions, and has shown similar to the clinical data. Changes of >20 points in the quality of life scores during the treatment process appear in areas related to toxicity, fatigue and insomnia. Quality of life has been stable or has had small changes (between 10 and 20 points) in most dimensions.

Conclusions

Quality of Life in the present sample has been good in general. The treatment has been administered to patients who could tolerate it adequately.

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Affiliations

  1. Servicios de Oncología Médica y Oncología Radioterápica, Hospital de Navarra. Pamplona, C/Monasterio de Urdax, 1-5o. D., 31007, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain

    Juan Ignacio Arraras Urdaniz, Ruth Vera García, Maite Martínez Aguillo, Ana Manterola Burgaleta, Fernando Arias de la Vega & Esteban Salgado Pascual

Authors
  1. Juan Ignacio Arraras Urdaniz
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  2. Ruth Vera García
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  3. Maite Martínez Aguillo
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  4. Ana Manterola Burgaleta
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  5. Fernando Arias de la Vega
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  6. Esteban Salgado Pascual
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Juan Ignacio Arraras Urdaniz.

Additional information

This study has been carried out with the support of a grant from the Gobierno de Navarra Health Department.

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Arraras Urdaniz, J.I., García, R.V., Aguillo, M.M. et al. Quality of life assessment through the EORTC questionnaires of colorectal cancer patients in advanced disease stages. Clin Transl Oncol 8, 664–671 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-006-0036-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-006-0036-6

Key words

  • colorectal cancer
  • Quality of Life
  • chemotherapy
  • questionnaire
  • evaluation