Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Health related quality of life in patients with neuroendocrine tumors compared with the general Norwegian population

  • Published:
Quality of Life Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Health related quality of life (HRQoL) was characterized among patients with neuroendocrine tumor (NET) and compared with the general Norwegian population.

Methods

A cross sectional, comparative design was chosen, and the samples comprised 196 NET patients and 5,258 individuals from the general Norwegian population.

We used Chi-square cross tab calculations to evaluate sociodemographic characteristics, T-tests for independent samples and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in order to compare HRQoL (SF-36) scores across a range of background variables. Furthermore, T-tests were used to analyze differences in HRQoL scores between the samples.

Results

NET patients demonstrated significantly lower on all HRQoL subscales when compared with the general population with the lowest values on general health, physical limitation and vitality. Individuals above 70 years reported lower scores on physical functioning and physical limitations compared with those who were younger. Individuals with higher levels of education reported increased physical functioning compared with those with less education and full-time or part-time workers described higher physical functioning and less physical limitations compared with those who were retired.

Conclusions

All SF-36 HRQoL scores were significantly lower among the NET patients when compared with the general population. Assistance from health personnel to NET patients should focus on those domains.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

HRQoL:

Health related quality of life

NET:

Neuroendocrine tumor

SF-36:

The short form 36 questionnaire

GF:

General health

PF:

Physical functioning

MH:

Mental health

RP:

Role-limitations-physical

RE:

Role-limitations-emotional

VT:

Vitality

SF:

Social functioning

BP:

Bodily Pain

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

ES:

Effect size

References

  1. Oberg, K. (2003). Diagnosis and treatment of carcinoid tumors. Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy, 3(6), 863–877. doi:10.1586/14737140.3.6.863. Review 134 refs.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Oberg, K. (1994). Endocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal tract: Systemic treatment. Anti-Cancer Drugs, 5(5), 503–519. doi:10.1097/00001813-199410000-00001. Review 93 refs.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Knox, C. D., Feurer, I. D., Wise, P. E., Lamps, L. W., Kelly, W. J., Chari, R. S., et al. (2004). Survival and functional quality of life after resection for hepatic carcinoid metastasis. Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, 8(6), 653–659. doi:10.1016/j.gassur.2004.04.003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Norheim, I., Oberg, K., Theodorsson-Norheim, E., Lindgren, P. G., Lundqvist, G., Magnusson, A., et al. (1987). Malignant carcinoid tumors. An analysis of 103 patients with regard to tumor localization, hormone production, and survival. Annals of Surgery, 206(2), 115–125.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Ware, J. E., Jr., Kosinski, M., & Keller, S. D. (1994). SF-36 Physical and mental health summary scales: A user’s manual (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Health Assessment Lab

  6. Larsson, G., Von Essen, L., & Sjoden, P. O. (1998). Quality of life in patients with endocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal tract: Patient and staff perceptions. Cancer Nursing, 21(6), 411–420. doi:10.1097/00002820-199812000-00005.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Larsson, G., Widmark, P. V., Lampic, C., von Essen, L., & Sjoden, P. O. (1998). Cancer patient and staff ratings of the importance of caring behaviors and their relations to patient anxiety and depression. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 27(4), 855–864. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2648.1998.00583.x.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Ramage, J. K., & Davies, A. H. (2003). Measurement of quality of life in carcinoid/neuroendocrine tumours. Endocrine-Related Cancer, 10(4), 483–486. doi:10.1677/erc.0.0100483.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Larsson, G., Sjoden, P. O., Oberg, K., Eriksson, B., & Von Essen, L. (2001). Health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression in patients with midgut carcinoid tumours. Acta Oncologica, 40(7), 825–831. doi:10.1080/02841860152703445.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Frojd, C., Larsson, G., Lampic, C., & von Essen, L. (2007). Health related quality of life and psychosocial function among patients with carcinoid tumours. A longitudinal, prospective, and comparative study. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 5, 18. doi:10.1186/1477-7525-5-18.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Berglund, G., Liden, A., Hansson, M. G., Oberg, K., Sjoden, P. O., & Nordin, K. (2003). Quality of life in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN 1). Familial Cancer, 2(1), 27–33. doi:10.1023/A:1023252107120. Erratum appears in Fam Cancer. 2003;2(2):151.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Larsson, G., Sjoden, P. O., Oberg, K., & von Essen, L. (1999). Importance-satisfaction discrepancies are associated with health-related quality of life in five-year survivors of endocrine gastrointestinal tumours. Annals of Oncology, 10(11), 1321–1327. doi:10.1023/A:1008360718646.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Hjermstad, M. J., Fayers, P. M., Bjordal, K., & Kaasa, S. (1998). Using reference data on quality of life—the importance of adjusting for age and gender, exemplified by the EORTC QLQ-C30 (+3). European Journal of Cancer, 34(9), 1381–1389. doi:10.1016/S0959-8049(98)00136-1.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. McHorney, C. A., Ware, J. E., Jr., Lu, J. F., & Sherbourne, C. D. (1994). The MOS 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36): III. Tests of data quality, scaling assumptions, and reliability across diverse patient groups. Medical Care, 32(1), 40–66. doi:10.1097/00005650-199401000-00004.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Norwegian Social Sience data Services (NSD). (2003). SF-36 data from the General population (n = 5152). Norway, The Norwegian Social Science Data Services, The Norwegian Survey Archive (www.nsd-uib.no/english/2006).

  16. Albert, S. M., Frank, L., Kleinman, L., Leidy, N. K., Legro, M., Shikiar, R., et al. (1998). Defining and measuring quality of life in medicine. JAMA. Journal of the American Medical Association, 279(6), 429–431. doi:10.1001/jama.279.6.429.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Davies, A. H. G., Larsson, G., Ardill, J., Friend, E., Jones, L., Falconi, M., et al. (2006). Development of a disease-specific quality of life questionnaire module for patients with gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumours. European Journal of Cancer, 42(4), 477–484. doi:10.1016/j.ejca.2005.10.025.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Ware, J. E., Jr., & Sherbourne, C. D. (1992). The MOS 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36). I. Conceptual framework and item selection. Medical Care, 30(6), 473–483. doi:10.1097/00005650-199206000-00002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Loge, J. H., & Kaasa, S. (1998). Short form 36 (SF-36) health survey: Normative data from the general Norwegian population. Scandinavian Journal of Social Medicine, 26(4), 250–258.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  21. King, M. T. (1996). The interpretation of scores from the EORTC quality of life questionnaire QLQ-C30. Quality of Life Research, 5(6), 555–567. doi:10.1007/BF00439229. Review 35 refs.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Mols, F., Aaronson, N. K., Vingerhoets, A. J., Coebergh, J. W., Vreugdenhil, G., Lybeert, M. L., et al. (2007). Quality of life among long-term non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivors: A population-based study. Cancer, 109(8), 1659–1667. doi:10.1002/cncr.22581.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Boini, S., Briancon, S., Guillemin, F., Galan, P., & Hercberg, S. (2004). Impact of cancer occurrence on health-related quality of life: A longitudinal pre-post assessment. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 2, 4. doi:10.1186/1477-7525-2-4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Hammerlid, E., & Taft, C. (2001). Health-related quality of life in long-term head and neck cancer survivors: A comparison with general population norms. British Journal of Cancer, 84(2), 149–156. doi:10.1054/bjoc.2000.1576.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Saegrov, S., & Halding, A. G. (2004). What is it like living with the diagnosis of cancer? European Journal of Cancer Care, 13(2), 145–153. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2354.2004.00442.x.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Tan, L. G., Nan, L., Thumboo, J., Sundram, F., & Tan, L. K. (2007). Health-related quality of life in thyroid cancer survivors. The Laryngoscope, 117(3), 507–510. doi:10.1097/MLG.0b013e31802e3739.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Oberg, K., Astrup, L., Eriksson, B., Falkmer, S. E., Falkmer, U. G., Gustafsen, J., et al. (2004). Guidelines for the management of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (including bronchopulmonary and thymic neoplasms). Part II-specific NE tumour types. Acta Oncologica, 43(7), 626–636. doi:10.1080/02841860410018584.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Oberg, K., Astrup, L., Eriksson, B., Falkmer, S. E., Falkmer, U. G., Gustafsen, J., et al. (2004). Guidelines for the management of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (including bronchopulmonary and thymic neoplasms). Part I-general overview. Acta Oncologica, 43(7), 617–625. doi:10.1080/02841860410018575.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Oberg, K., & Eriksson, B. (1989). Medical treatment of neuroendocrine gut and pancreatic tumors. Acta Oncologica, 28(3), 425–431. doi:10.3109/02841868909111217 (Review 32 refs).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to research assistant MSc Kristian Holm for his assistance in data collection and scanning of questionnaires. We would also like to thank Dr. Holli DeVon for providing thorough feedback of the manuscript. The study was funded by grants from The National Competence Centre for Neuroendocrine Tumors in Norway.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Department, Rikshospitalet University Hospital HF, 0027, Oslo, Norway

    Trude Haugland & Morten H. Vatn

  2. Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Bergen, 5018, Bergen, Norway

    Trude Haugland & Gerd Karin Natvig

  3. Epi-Gen, Faculty Division Ahus, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Morten H. Vatn

  4. NOVA-Norwegian Social Research, Oslo, Norway

    Marijke Veenstra

  5. Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Astrid Klopstad Wahl

Authors
  1. Trude Haugland
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Morten H. Vatn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Marijke Veenstra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Astrid Klopstad Wahl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Gerd Karin Natvig
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Trude Haugland.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Haugland, T., Vatn, M.H., Veenstra, M. et al. Health related quality of life in patients with neuroendocrine tumors compared with the general Norwegian population. Qual Life Res 18, 719–726 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-009-9487-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-009-9487-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation