Health-Related Quality of Life in Long-Term Survivors of Testicular Cancer

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (35) ◽  
pp. 5993-5999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Blach Rossen ◽  
Anette Fischer Pedersen ◽  
Robert Zachariae ◽  
Hans von der Maase

Purpose A growing number of patients with testicular cancer (TC) become long-term survivors. As a consequence, quality-of-life (QOL) issues become increasingly important. The objective of this study was to investigate QOL among Danish TC survivors. Methods A long-term follow-up assessment of all patients with TC treated at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark between 1990 and 2000 was conducted. A total of 401 survivors (response rate, 66%) completed questionnaires concerning QOL (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30), depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II), fatigue (Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20), and health-related issues such as neurotoxic symptoms and Raynaud-like phenomena. On the basis of their treatment, participants were categorized as having received surveillance, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy. Results QOL among patients with TC was equal to that of men from the general population. Although patients who received chemotherapy reported higher levels of peripheral sensory neuropathy, ototoxicity, and Raynaud-like phenomena, treatment strategies were generally unrelated to QOL and depressive symptoms. Conclusion Overall, the patients in this study reported high levels of QOL. The results suggest that patients treated for TC should be informed about the anticipated good post-therapeutic QOL and the low risk of psychosocial and physical long-term effects.

2002 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Joly ◽  
J. F. Héron ◽  
L. Kalusinski ◽  
P. Bottet ◽  
D. Brune ◽  
...  

PURPOSE: To evaluate quality of life and social problems in long-term survivors of testicular cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 1998, 71 testicular cancer survivors (cases) identified from the Calvados General Tumor Registry were enrolled onto a case-control study. One hundred nineteen healthy control subjects (controls), matched by age and location of residence, were selected at random from electoral rolls. Three self-administered questionnaires were used: two health-related quality-of-life questionnaires (Short Form-36 and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30 core questionnaires) and one life situation questionnaire. Specific questions concerning sexuality were also added. RESULTS: With a mean follow-up of 11 years, health-related quality-of-life scores did not differ significantly between cases and controls, nor did general symptom scores. Psychosocial problems were reported equally by cases and controls. Cases reported more modification of sexual life (P = .04) with decreased sexual enjoyment (P < .01), decreased desire (P = .02), and infertility (P < .01). Cases did not report more divorce than controls; they reported fewer changes in relationships with friends (P = .03). Although a similar proportion of cases and controls were at work, cases expressed less ambitious professional plans (P = .002). Cases had greater difficulty in borrowing from banks (P < .001). CONCLUSION: French long-term survivors of testicular cancer do not express more impairment of health-related quality of life or familial or professional life in comparison with healthy men. They did have more sexual life problems and found difficulty in borrowing from banks. This information should be used by practitioners to help their patients cope with their disease and return to normal life.


2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 746-753 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Siderowf ◽  
Jurg L. Jaggi ◽  
Sharon X. Xie ◽  
Catherine Loveland-Jones ◽  
Lewis Leng ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Adolfo Pérez-Fentes ◽  
Francisco Gude ◽  
Benito Blanco ◽  
Camilo García Freire

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula J. Belson ◽  
Jo-Ann Eastwood ◽  
Mary-Lynn Brecht ◽  
Ron D. Hays ◽  
Nancy A. Pike

Background: Retinoblastoma is a malignant tumor of the eye that typically presents in early childhood and occurs in approximately 1 in 20,000 births. While active treatment of the tumor is typically completed in childhood, survivors often suffer from long-term effects from treatment including visual impairment, facial deformities, and fear of recurrence or secondary cancer. However, little is known how these long-term effects affect their health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Purpose: To review the literature on HRQOL in retinoblastoma survivors. Method: We searched three electronic databases from January 2005 to December 2018 for original research articles reporting on HRQOL or individual domains such as function, cognition, and psychosocial outcomes in retinoblastoma survivors. Results: A total of 59 articles were reviewed and 15 were identified as eligible. Five of the studies reported worse HRQOL in retinoblastoma survivors than controls or general population norms. Parent-proxy ratings were worse than survivors’ self-reports. Conclusion: Our findings confirm the need for further HRQOL research to assess the factors influencing long-term outcomes associated with treatment in adolescent and young adult retinoblastoma survivors. By identifying any potential deficits in specific domains of HRQOL, early interventions might be developed to improve HRQOL in retinoblastoma survivors.


2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (5_suppl) ◽  
pp. 325-325
Author(s):  
Sumanta Kumar Pal ◽  
Virginia Sun ◽  
Courtney Carmichael ◽  
Betty R. Ferrell ◽  
Paul Henry Frankel ◽  
...  

325 Background: HDCT is a viable and potentially curative approach for patients with relapsed or refractory GCTs. However, no comparative data exist to define the optimal chemotherapeutic strategy. Herein, long-term follow-up data and QOL assessments are provided for an expanded cohort of patients treated with high-dose paclitaxel, etoposide, carboplatin, and ifosfamide (TECTIC). Methods: Details of the TECTIC regimen and clinical follow-up data for an initial 33 patients have been previously reported (Margolin Biol Blood Marrow Trans 2005). Surviving patients were surveyed using a modified EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire-30 (QLQ-C30) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Taxane (FACT-T) questionnaire; results were compared to relevant historical cohorts using a 2-sample t-test. Cardiovascular morbidity (CM) was ascertained through queries regarding use of antihypertensive (AH) or cholesterol-lowering (CL) agents, and presence/absence of diabetes mellitus (DM). Results: Forty-six patients received protocol-based therapy. Of these, 17 patients were progression-free at a median of 112.7 mos (49.5-170.2), and 6 patients remain alive following progression with a median overall survival (OS) of 64.4 mos (43.6-147.1). Median progression-free survival (PFS) and OS were 11.8 mos (95%CI 5.8-NR) and 21.7 months (95%CI 12.7-NR), respectively. Of the 23 patients still alive, 18 patients were accessible and consented to telephonic interview. As compared to historical cohorts (Rossen J Clin Oncol 2009), survivors had a higher global health scale score (87.04 v 75.62; P=0.02) but a lower physical functioning score (68.89 v 92.66; P=0.0001) by the QLQ-C30 scale. No difference in FACT-T scores were observed as compared to historical cohorts (Cella Cancer 2003). Four patients (22%) had DM. Three patients (17%) and 4 patients (22%) reported use of AH and CL agents, respectively. Conclusions: HDCT with the TECTIC regimen produces durable remissions in patients with relapsed or refractory GCTs, with acceptable QOL and CM in long-term survivors.


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