Quality of life in operable colon cancer patients receiving oral compared with intravenous chemotherapy: results from National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project Trial C-06.
OBJECTIVE
We compared health-related quality of life (HRQL), symptoms, and convenience of care (COC) in patients with stage II/III carcinoma of the colon who received either oral uracil/ftorafur (UFT) plus leucovorin (LV) or standard intravenous (IV) fluorouracil (FU) plus LV as adjuvant chemotherapy.


METHODS
We measured HRQL with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colorectal (FACT-C) questionnaire, Short Form-36 Vitality Scale (SF-36), and a Quality of Life Rating Scale (QLRS) at baseline, once during chemotherapy, and at 1 year. We used the Symptom Distress Scale (SDS) and treatment-specific Symptom Checklist (SCL) to assess symptoms and a modified Burden of Care form to assess COC at baseline, on day 1 of each treatment cycle, and at 1 year. Repeated measures analyses controlling for demographic variables and baseline scores were used for statistical comparisons.


RESULTS
The study accrued 1,608 patients, 803 to the FU arm and 805 to the UFT arm. There were no differences between the arms in overall FACT-C scores, FACT-C scores within the subscales of colon-specific, physical, emotional, social, and functional health, or QLRS scores. Patients taking UFT reported substantially higher COC. Statistically significant but small differences were observed for SF-36, favoring FU, and for SDS and SCL, both favoring UFT.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients perceive adjuvant treatment with UFT + LV as more convenient than standard IV treatment with FU + LV. Both regimens are well tolerated and do not differ in their impact on HRQL.
Kopec
Jacek A
JA
National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project Operations and Biostatistical Centers, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. jkopec@arthritisresearch.ca
Yothers
Greg
G
Ganz
Patricia A
PA
Land
Stephanie R
SR
Cecchini
Reena S
RS
Wieand
H Samuel
HS
Lembersky
Barry C
BC
Wolmark
Norman
N
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D005641:Tegafur / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014498:Uracil / Q000008:administration & dosage
D005641:Tegafur; D014498:Uracil; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil