title: Quality of life assessment in radionuclide therapy: a feasibility study of the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire in palliative (131)I-lipiodol therapy.
abstract: The good tolerance of radionuclide therapy has frequently been proposed as a major advantage. This study explored the feasibility of using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire in palliative iodine-131 lipiodol therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. Questionnaires were completed during interviews in which all symptoms, co-morbidity and medication were assessed at baseline within 1 week before (131)I-lipiodol therapy, and subsequently after 1 and 3 months, in 20 patients treated with locoregional, intra-arterial (131)I-lipiodol therapy with or without cisplatin. Principal observations were that (1) a number of important scales, i.e. overall quality of life, physical functioning and pain, worsened between 0 and 3 months after (131)I-lipiodol therapy, irrespective of tumour response, and (2) the occurrence of clinical side-effects was associated with a negative impact on quality of life and physical functioning 1 and 3 months after (131)I-lipiodol. The QLQ-C30 can be regarded as a feasible method for quality of life assessment in (131)I-lipiodol therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma and possibly in other radionuclide therapies. These observations should be related to the impact of other treatment modalities on quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Ghent, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. b.brans@atriummc.nl
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brans
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Beule
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Winter
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van Belle
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Van Vlierberghe
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: de Hemptinne
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Dierckx
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007459:Iodized Oil / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D011788:Quality of Life; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D007459:Iodized Oil; D002945:Cisplatin