title: Does chemotherapy improve health-related quality of life in advanced pancreatic cancer? A systematic review.
abstract: Chemotherapy is increasingly being used in advanced pancreatic cancer, but side-effects are common. The aim of this systematic review was to assess whether chemotherapy improves health-related quality of life (HRQoL), pain or cachexia. Thirty studies were reviewed. Four of 23 studies evaluating HRQoL, 7 of 24 studies evaluating pain and 0 of 8 studies evaluating cachexia found differences between treatment arms. Change in HRQoL from baseline was evaluated in 14 studies: five studies reported an improvement in at least one treatment arm; three a worsening and the remaining stable scores. Change in pain intensity from baseline was evaluated in eight studies, and improvement was observed in seven. Of the four studies reporting improved survival, three reported improved HRQoL or pain. In conclusion, chemotherapy can stabilize HRQoL and improve pain control. Effects on cachexia are hard to elucidate. Improved survival does not come at the expense of HRQoL or pain control.
authors.affiliation: European Palliative Care Research Centre (PRC), Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; The Cancer Clinic, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: are.kristensen@ntnu.no.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kristensen
authors.affiliation: European Palliative Care Research Centre (PRC), Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; The Cancer Clinic, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: O M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Vagnildhaug
authors.affiliation: European Palliative Care Research Centre (PRC), Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; The Cancer Clinic, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Grønberg
authors.affiliation: European Palliative Care Research Centre (PRC), Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; The Cancer Clinic, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaasa
authors.affiliation: European Palliative Care Research Centre (PRC), Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Laird
authors.affiliation: European Palliative Care Research Centre (PRC), Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; The Cancer Clinic, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Solheim
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: Cachexia; Chemotherapy; Pain; Pancreatic Cancer; Quality of Life; Systematic review