title: Patient Experience After Receiving a Diagnosis of Gastric Cancer in the USA.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the patient perspective during cancer treatment and throughout the survivorship period and to understand how the patient experience may be related to choices for the treatment of gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eligible patients in the Vector Oncology electronic medical records database were ≥18 years of age, diagnosed with gastric cancer, and received active treatment. Quality of life (QOL) was collected using the Patient Care Monitor (PCM). Time to deterioration in QOL and overall survival were measured, adjusting for demographic and baseline clinical characteristics. Logistic regression model and classification and regression trees (CART) were used to identify factors associated with treatment choice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 776 patients in this study, of whom 301 (38.8%) reported QOL data. Most patients reported problems on all PCM subscales; problems were more common during the treatment period. Median time to deterioration of PCM subscales ranged from 42 days for treatment side effects to 331 days for impaired performance. Median survival was low: 6.9 and 5.5 months from the start of first- and second-line therapy, respectively. The choices made between therapeutic options were primarily associated with the site at which the oncologist practiced.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with gastric cancer report a considerable number of concerns on all subscales of the PCM, particularly during active treatment periods. The treatment heterogeneity and relative lack of clinical and symptom- or QOL-related factors associated with treatment choice suggest a gap in evidence that must be filled.
authors.affiliation: Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46285, USA. Hess_lisa_m@lilly.com.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.affiliation: Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46285, USA.
authors.forename: Zhanglin Lin
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: inVentiv Health Clinical, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
authors.forename: Yixun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46285, USA.
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46285, USA.
authors.forename: Astra M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Liepa
authors.affiliation: Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46285, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.affiliation: Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46285, USA.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schelman
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology; D016019:Survival Analysis
keywords: Gastric cancer; Patient-reported outcomes; Quality of life; Real world data; Treatment choice; Treatment patterns