title: Chemo-immunotherapy for advanced-stage malignancies and its impact on quality of life: multidimensional evaluation in ten cancer patients.
abstract: The aim of our study was to compare the impact of chemotherapy alone with that of chemotherapy plus immunotherapy on the quality of life (QL) of patients affected by advanced-stage malignancies (eight head and neck squamous-cell carcinomas, two melanomas). Ten patients receiving chemotherapy and immunotherapy sequentially were evaluated. The impact on QL was assessed by both objective and subjective scales. Evaluation was performed before the first cycle of therapy, at the end of chemotherapy, and after immunotherapy. The analysis of our data showed that the association of chemotherapy and immunotherapy did not significantly worsen the QL of patients as compared to chemotherapy alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, University of Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Curreli
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lampis
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Santona
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mantovani
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires