Quality of Life assessment through the EORTC questionnaires of colorectal cancer patients in advanced disease stages

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the present work is to evaluate Quality of Life in a group of colorectal cancer patients in advanced stages of their disease, along a standard chemotherapy treatment protocol, through the EORTC core questionnaire QLQ-C30 and the colorectal cancer module QLQ-CR38. These two questionnaires had previously been validated in our country. The present study has the novelty of its use during the chemotherapy treatment.

Materials and methods: A consecutive sample of 44 colon o rectal cancer patients in stage IV, from an initial group of 46 patients who were addressed, have filled in the questionnaires, in three moments during their treatment process. Clinical and demographic data have also been recorded. Quality of Life scores and changes in them among the three assessments have been calculated.

Results: The quality of life scores of patients who have followed the treatment have been >70 points (100) in most dimensions, and has shown similar to the clinical data. Changes of >20 points in the quality of life scores during the treatment process appear in areas related to toxicity, fatigue and insomnia. Quality of life has been stable or has had small changes (between 10 and 20 points) in most dimensions.

Conclusions: Quality of Life in the present sample has been good in general. The treatment has been administered to patients who could tolerate it adequately.