title: Treatment-related differences in health related quality of life and disease specific symptoms among colon cancer survivors: results from the population-based PROFILES registry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The goal of this study was to compare health related quality of life (HRQoL) and disease-specific symptoms between colon cancer patients treated with surgery only (SU) and surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy (SU+adjCT). Results were stratified for those aged <70 and ⩾70years. HRQoL of patients was also compared with an age- and sex-matched normative population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients diagnosed with colon cancer between January 2000 and June 2009, as registered within the population-based Eindhoven Cancer Registry, received a questionnaire on HRQoL (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire version 3.0 (QLQ-C30)) and disease-specific symptoms (EORTC QLQ-Colorectal 38 (EORTC QLQ-CR38)) in 2010. The first was also completed by the normative population (n=685).
  
  
  RESULTS
  1606 (72%) colon cancer survivors responded to our questionnaire. 1542 colon cancer patients treated with SU (n=1031) or SU+adjCT (n=493) were included in this study. In colon cancer patients aged <70years and aged ⩾70 no statistical significant differences on the subscales of the EORTC QLQ-C30 or the EORTC QLQ-CR38 were observed between patients treated with SU and SU+adjCT. Colon cancer patients aged <70years either treated with SU or SU+adjCT reported significantly more insomnia, diarrhoea and financial problems compared with the normative population. No differences in HRQoL were found between colon cancer patients aged ⩾70years either treated with SU or SU+adjCT and the normative population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No differences in HRQoL and disease-specific symptoms were found between patients treated with SU versus SU+adjCT in both younger and elderly colon cancer patients. Withholding patients adjCT, based on concerns for long-term HRQoL or disease-specific symptoms does therefore not seem plausible.
authors.affiliation: TweeSteden Hospital, Department of Geriatrics, Tilburg, The Netherlands. Electronic address: simoneverhaar@hotmail.nl.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Verhaar
authors.affiliation: CoRPS - Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic diseases, Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, The Netherlands; Comprehensive Cancer Centre The Netherlands, Eindhoven Cancer Registry, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Pauline A J
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Vissers
authors.affiliation: TweeSteden Hospital, Department of Geriatrics, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Huub
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maas
authors.affiliation: CoRPS - Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic diseases, Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, The Netherlands; Comprehensive Cancer Centre The Netherlands, Eindhoven Cancer Registry, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lonneke V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: van de Poll-Franse
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Cancer Centre The Netherlands, Eindhoven Cancer Registry, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Felice N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: van Erning
authors.affiliation: CoRPS - Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic diseases, Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, The Netherlands; Comprehensive Cancer Centre The Netherlands, Eindhoven Cancer Registry, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Floortje
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mols
mesh_terms: D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012042:Registries; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors
keywords: Adjuvant chemotherapy; Colon cancer; Elderly; Quality of life