The impact of disease-related symptoms and palliative care concerns on health-related quality of life in multiple myeloma: a multi-centre study

Multiple myeloma, the second most common haematological cancer, remains incurable. Its incidence is rising due to population ageing. Despite the impact of the disease and its treatment, not much is known on who is most in need of supportive and palliative care. This study aimed to (a) assess symptom...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMC cancer 2016-07, Vol.16 (1), p.427-427, Article 427
Main Authors: Ramsenthaler, Christina, Osborne, Thomas R, Gao, Wei, Siegert, Richard J, Edmonds, Polly M, Schey, Stephen A, Higginson, Irene J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Analysis
Cancer
Care and treatment
Consent
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diagnosis
Female
Hematology
Hospitals
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Multiple myeloma
Multiple Myeloma - psychology
Multiple Myeloma - therapy
Pain
Palliative care
Palliative Care - methods
Palliative treatment
Patients
Psychometrics
Quality of life
Quality of Life - psychology
R&D
Research & development
Stem cells
Studies
Surveys and Questionnaires
Transplants & implants
United Kingdom
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Summary:Multiple myeloma, the second most common haematological cancer, remains incurable. Its incidence is rising due to population ageing. Despite the impact of the disease and its treatment, not much is known on who is most in need of supportive and palliative care. This study aimed to (a) assess symptom severity, palliative care concerns and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with multiple myeloma, and (b) to determine which factors are associated with a lower quality of life. We further wanted to know (c) whether general symptom level has a stronger influence on HRQOL than disease characteristics. This multi-centre cross-sectional study sampled two cohorts of patients with multiple myeloma from 18 haematological cancer centres in the UK. The Myeloma Patient Outcome Scale (MyPOS) was used to measure symptoms and concerns. Measures of quality of life included the EORTC QLQ-C30, its myeloma module and the EuroQoL EQ-5D. Data were collected on socio-demographic, disease and treatment characteristics and phase of illness. Point prevalence of symptoms and concerns was determined. Multiple regression models quantified relationships between independent factors and the MyPOS, EORTC global quality of life item and EQ5D Index. Five-hundred-fifty-seven patients, on average 3.5 years (SD: 3.4) post-diagnosis, were recruited. 18.2 % had newly diagnosed disease, 47.9 % were in a treatment-free interval and 32.7 % had relapsed/progressive disease phase. Patients reported a mean of 7.2 symptoms (SD: 3.3) out of 15 potential symptoms. The most common symptoms were pain (72 %), fatigue (88 %) and breathlessness (61 %). Those with relapsed/progressive disease reported the highest mean number of symptoms and the highest overall palliative care concerns (F = 9.56, p 
ISSN:1471-2407
1471-2407
DOI:10.1186/s12885-016-2410-2