title: Anemia affects the quality of life of Japanese cancer patients.
abstract: The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Anemia (FACT-An) was developed to measure the effect of anemia on quality of life (QOL) in cancer patients. We have previously validated the Japanese version of the FACT-An in Japanese cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or radiation therapy. That analysis was limited to evaluating the relationship between QOL scores and hemoglobin (Hb) levels. In this study, the data were further analyzed in order to identify factors that affect QOL. The mean Hb level of the patients was unchanged over three months. Patient age, Eastern Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG-PS) score, Hb level, and the type of treatment method received were each predictive factors of a patient's FACT-An score at baseline, while the patient's Hb level at three months and whether the patient had received a blood transfusion were both predictive factors of a patient's FACT-An score at three months. Anemia consistently negatively affected the QOL of cancer patients measured over a three-month period. These results confirm the clinical effectiveness of the FACT-An as a tool to assess anemia-related QOL in Japanese cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan. iwasada@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wasada
authors.forename: Hisae
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurita
authors.forename: Shitomi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shishida
authors.forename: Yaeko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mishima
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Nobuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ushiorozawa
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Seto
authors.forename: Kojiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimozuma
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yokomizo
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishizawa
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eguchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D044466:Asian People; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D005260:Female; D062489:Health Impact Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D006454:Hemoglobins