IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0148463.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Undergoing Diagnostic Evaluation for Possible Cancer Affects the Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients Presenting with Non-Specific Symptoms

Author

Listed:
  • Ellen Moseholm
  • Susan Rydahl-Hansen
  • Bjarne Ørskov Lindhardt

Abstract

Aim: 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.

Suggested Citation

  • Ellen Moseholm & Susan Rydahl-Hansen & Bjarne Ørskov Lindhardt, 2016. "Undergoing Diagnostic Evaluation for Possible Cancer Affects the Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients Presenting with Non-Specific Symptoms," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(2), pages 1-13, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0148463
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148463
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0148463
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0148463&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0148463?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Probst, Helene Bilsted & Hussain, Zubair Butt & Andersen, Ole, 2012. "Cancer patient pathways in Denmark as a joint effort between bureaucrats, health professionals and politicians—A national Danish project," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(1), pages 65-70.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mæhle, Per Magnus & Smeland, Sigbjørn, 2021. "Implementing cancer patient pathways in Scandinavia how structuring might affect the acceptance of a politically imposed reform," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(10), pages 1340-1350.
    2. Dyrop, Heidi Buvarp & Safwat, Akmal & Vedsted, Peter & Maretty-Nielsen, Katja & Hansen, Bjarne Hauge & Jørgensen, Peter Holmberg & Baad-Hansen, Thomas & Bünger, Cody & Keller, Johnny, 2013. "Cancer Patient Pathways shortens waiting times and accelerates the diagnostic process of suspected sarcoma patients in Denmark," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(1), pages 110-117.
    3. Wilkens, Jens & Thulesius, Hans & Schmidt, Ingrid & Carlsson, Christina, 2016. "The 2015 National Cancer Program in Sweden: Introducing standardized care pathways in a decentralized system," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(12), pages 1378-1382.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0148463. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.