title: Undergoing Diagnostic Evaluation for Possible Cancer Affects the Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients Presenting with Non-Specific Symptoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Undergoing diagnostic evaluation for possible cancer can affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The aims of this study were to examine the HRQoL in patients undergoing a diagnostic evaluation for possible cancer due to non-specific symptoms and further to investigate the impact of socio-demographic and medical factors associated with HRQoL at the time of diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective, multicenter survey study that included patients who were referred for a diagnostic evaluation due to non-specific cancer symptoms. Participants completed the EORTC-QLQ-C30 quality of life scale before and after completing the diagnostic evaluation. The baseline and follow-up EORTC-QLQ-C30 scores were compared with reference populations. The impact of socio-demographic and medical factors on HRQoL at follow-up was explored by bootstrapped multivariate linear regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 838 patients participated in the study; 680 (81%) also completed follow-up. Twenty-two percent of the patients received a cancer diagnosis at the end of follow-up. Patients presented initially with a high burden of symptoms, less role and emotional functioning and a lower global health/QoL. Most domains improved after diagnosis and no clinically important difference between baseline and follow-up scores was found. Patients reported effects on HRQoL both at baseline and at follow-up compared with the Danish reference population and had similar scores as a cancer reference population. Co-morbidity, being unemployed and receiving a cancer diagnosis had the greatest effect on HRQoL around the time of diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with non-specific symptoms reported an affected HRQoL while undergoing a diagnostic evaluation for possible cancer. Morbidity, being unemployed and receiving a cancer diagnosis had the greatest effect on HRQoL around the time of diagnosis.
authors: Department of Pulmonary and Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Nordsjælland, Hillerød, Denmark.
authors: Ellen
authors: E
authors: Moseholm
authors: Research Unit of Clinical Nursing, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.|Department of Public Health, Section for Nursing, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Rydahl-Hansen
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark.
authors: Bjarne Ørskov
authors: BØ
authors: Lindhardt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life