title: Side effects of analgesia may significantly reduce quality of life in symptomatic multiple myeloma: a cross-sectional prevalence study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pain is a common symptom in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Many patients are dependent on analgesics and in particular opioids, but there is limited information on the impact of these drugs and their side effects on health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional study, semi-structured interviews were performed in 21 patients attending the hospital with symptomatic MM on pain medications. HRQoL was measured using items 29 and 30 of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients were able to recall a median of two (range 0-4) analgesics. They spontaneously identified a median of two (range 1-5) side effects attributable to their analgesic medications. Patients' assessment of HRQoL based on the EORTC QLQ-C30 questions 29/30 was mean 48.3 (95 % CI; 38.7-57.9) out of 100. Patients' assessment of their HRQoL in the hypothetical situation, in which they would not experience any side effects from analgesics, was significantly higher: 62.6 (53.5-71.7) (t test, p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides, for the first time, evidence that side effects of analgesics are common in symptomatic MM and may result in a statistically and clinically significant reduction of self-reported HRQoL.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, UMCG, Groningen, Hanzeplein, PO 30.001, 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands, sarahsloot@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sloot
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boland
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Snowden
authors.forename: Yousef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ezaydi
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gethin
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chopra
authors.forename: Stans
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Verhagen
authors.forename: Kris
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vissers
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Engels
authors.forename: Sam H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ahmedzai
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000698:Analgesia / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D059408:Pain Management / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid