Cancer-related symptoms associated with quality of life impairments in recently diagnosed patients

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

Cancer-related symptoms were associated with health-related quality of life impairments in recently diagnosed patients with colorectal and lung cancer, a new study published online early in the journal Cancer has shown.

For the study, researchers sought to examine associations of symptoms with physical and mental health-related quality of life in patients with colorectal and lung cancer.

Researchers analyzed data from 3,040 patients with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer and 2,297 patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer who participated in the Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance Consortium study. Participants completed surveys on general health-related quality of life and symptoms.

Results showed that health-related quality of life was worse in patients with colorectal and lung caner compared with the general population. Specifically, for patients with colorectal cancer, an increase in nonspecific symptoms was strongly associated with decreased quality of life compared with an increased in colorectal cancer-specific symptoms.

For those with lung cancer, increases in lung cancer-specific symptoms were more strongly associated with physical impairments, while nonspecific symptoms were more strongly associated with mental impairments.

The findings suggest that "additional supportive care implemented early in cancer care, regardless of cancer stage, may provide symptom relief and improve health-related quality of life."