title: Quality of life across chemotherapy lines in patients with advanced colorectal cancer: a prospective single-center observational study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Palliative chemotherapy in patients with nonresectable advanced colorectal carcinoma is performed to prolong survival, alleviate tumor-associated symptoms, and maintain or improve health-related quality of life (HRQOL). In this prospective single-center observational study, we assessed HRQOL across the various lines of palliative chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  HRQOL data were acquired using the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30 (QLQ-C30) questionnaire. The first assessment was performed at the beginning of each chemotherapy line, the second after three cycles, and the third at the end of chemotherapy. Further assessments were conducted during checkups every 3 months in our outpatient unit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 100 consecutive patients with colorectal carcinoma (mean age 66.4 years; 60 % men) treated with palliative chemotherapy were recruited. Generally, QOL deteriorated constantly across time. Physical functioning, fatigue, pain, dyspnea, and appetite worsened steadily from first-line chemotherapy to the later treatment phase. Global QOL, emotional functioning, and role functioning improved slightly after the end of first-line chemotherapy, deteriorated during second-line chemotherapy to the level of first-line chemotherapy, and further deteriorated in the later treatment phases. In additional analyses, we found the largest differences between patients with and without a treatment response for pain (19.0 vs. 37.2 points) and appetite loss (17.4 vs. 32.7 points).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The individual QOL domains deteriorated constantly across time. Our data indicate that patients undergoing first- and second-line palliative chemotherapy experience stabilization of global QOL and psychosocial symptoms. We also found that unselected patients who achieved a treatment response had a lower symptom burden and better QOL than did patients with progressive disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine IV, Klinikum Wels-Grieskirchen, Grieskirchnerstraße 42, 4600, Wels, Austria. beate.mayrbaeurl@kabelkom.at.
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mayrbäurl
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstrasse 35, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Johannes M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Giesinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine IV, Klinikum Wels-Grieskirchen, Grieskirchnerstraße 42, 4600, Wels, Austria.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burgstaller
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine IV, Klinikum Wels-Grieskirchen, Grieskirchnerstraße 42, 4600, Wels, Austria.
authors.forename: Gudrun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Piringer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstrasse 35, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Holzner
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine IV, Klinikum Wels-Grieskirchen, Grieskirchnerstraße 42, 4600, Wels, Austria.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thaler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Advanced colorectal cancer; Electronic patient-reported outcome monitoring; Palliative chemotherapy; Quality of life