title: Health-related quality of life in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatic resection, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, radiofrequency ablation or no treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aim of this work was to compare quality of life (QoL) of patients affected by HCC and submitted to hepatic resection (HR), transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), radiofrequency ablation (RFA), or no treatment (NT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients affected by HCC between 2001 and 2009 were considered for this study. Gender, diabetes, hepatitis status, Child grade, tumor size, and recurrence were analyzed. QoL was assessed before treatment and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after, using a FACT-Hep questionnaire. P value was considered significant if <0.01 and highly significant if <0.001.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen patients (27.45%) were treated with HR, 15 patients (29.41%) underwent TACE, RFA was performed in 9 patients (17.65%), and 13 patients (25.49%) were not treated. Physical well-being, social/family well-being, emotional well-being, functional well-being and additional concerns 24 months after HR were significantly higher compared to all other treatments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatic resection provides the best QoL at 24 months. RFA provides a worse QoL compared to HR, but a higher QoL compared to TACE or NT.
authors: Department of Surgical Sciences, Organ Transplantation, and Advanced Technologies, University of Catania, Cannizzaro Hospital, Via Messina 829, 95126 Catania, Italy.
authors: Adriana
authors: A
authors: Toro
authors: Elia
authors: E
authors: Pulvirenti
authors: Filippo
authors: F
authors: Palermo
authors: Isidoro
authors: I
authors: Di Carlo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004644:Emotions; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome