Importance-satisfaction discrepancies are associated with health-related quality of life in five-year survivors of endocrine gastrointestinal tumours.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the health-related-quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with endocrine gastrointestinal tumours. In this study, HRQoL was investigated in long-term survivors of endocrine GI tumours.


METHODS
A questionnaire including the EORTC QLQ-C30 and ratings of importance of and satisfaction with a variety of HRQoL aspects was mailed to patients with carcinoid tumours (n = 64), or endocrine pancreatic tumours (EPT, n = 55). Median time since diagnosis was 120 months (range 60-360). The majority of patients (77 of 119) had ongoing treatment.


RESULTS
The EORTC QLQ-C30 ratings suggest that in spite of a long disease duration and treatment, patients perceived their HRQoL as relatively good. There were no major differences in HRQoL ratings between patients with carcinoid tumours and those with EPT. Patients whose ratings of importance was higher than their ratings of satisfaction with a specific HRQoL aspect also evidenced a low HRQoL for that aspect.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that survivors of endocrine GI tumours enjoy a relatively good HRQoL and suggest that importance > satisfaction discrepancies identify patients with a low quality of life.
Larsson
G
G
Department of Medicine, Uppsala University, Sweden. Gunnel.Larsson@ccs.uu.se
Sjödén
P O
PO
Oberg
K
K
von Essen
L
L
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009377:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors; D013548:Sweden