TY - JOUR
T1 - Perception of prognosis and health-related quality of life in patients with advanced cancer
T2 - results of a multicentre observational study (eQuiPe)
AU - Zijlstra, Myrte
AU - van Roij, J.
AU - Henselmans, I.
AU - van Laarhoven, H. W. M.
AU - Creemers, G. J.
AU - Vreugdenhil, G.
AU - Kuip, E. J. M.
AU - on behalf of the eQuiPe study group
AU - van de Poll-Franse, L. V.
AU - Raijmakers, N. J. H.
N1 - Funding Information: We thank all patients for their time and effort in participating in our study while being in an uncertain situation. We also want to thank the participating hospitals for recruiting and informing patients about the eQuiPe study. Finally, we would like to thank all research assistants from PROFILES for all their efforts concerning the data collection of the eQuiPe study. Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2023/3/1
Y1 - 2023/3/1
N2 - Purpose: To assess perception of prognosis in patients with advanced cancer, its association with patient’s characteristics and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods: In a multicentre observational cohort study (eQuiPe), conducted on patients with advanced cancer, perceived prognosis, coping strategies, and HRQoL were assessed. Clinical data were obtained from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Patients with vs. without a perception of prognosis, patients who perceived their prognosis as limited (< 1 year) vs. longer (> 1 year), and patients who did not want to know their prognosis vs. those who did not know for other reasons were compared. Results: Of 1000 patients with advanced cancer, 29% perceived their prognosis as > 1 year, 13% < 1 year, and 4% non-life threatening. Thirty-six percent did not know their prognosis and another 15% did not want to know. Patients without a perception were older, lower educated, coped differently (less accepting, planning, active; more denial), and received treatment more often (p < 0.05). Global QoL was lower in patients with vs. without a perceived prognosis (66 (SD21) vs. 69 (SD19), p = 0.01), specifically in patients who perceived a limited rather than a longer prognosis (57 (SD22) vs. 70 (SD19), p < 0.01). Global QoL of patients who did not want to know their prognosis was comparable to patients who did not know for other reasons (71 (SD19) vs. 69 (SD19), p = 0.22). Conclusion: More than half of the patients with advanced cancer have no perception of their prognosis. Patients with a perceived prognosis have lower HRQoL, but only in patients who perceived their prognosis as limited (< 1 year) and were probably closer to the end of life, which more likely determines their poorer HRQoL, rather than prognostic perception. Ignorance of prognosis is not associated with lower HRQoL, however, should not hamper appropriate palliative care.
AB - Purpose: To assess perception of prognosis in patients with advanced cancer, its association with patient’s characteristics and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods: In a multicentre observational cohort study (eQuiPe), conducted on patients with advanced cancer, perceived prognosis, coping strategies, and HRQoL were assessed. Clinical data were obtained from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Patients with vs. without a perception of prognosis, patients who perceived their prognosis as limited (< 1 year) vs. longer (> 1 year), and patients who did not want to know their prognosis vs. those who did not know for other reasons were compared. Results: Of 1000 patients with advanced cancer, 29% perceived their prognosis as > 1 year, 13% < 1 year, and 4% non-life threatening. Thirty-six percent did not know their prognosis and another 15% did not want to know. Patients without a perception were older, lower educated, coped differently (less accepting, planning, active; more denial), and received treatment more often (p < 0.05). Global QoL was lower in patients with vs. without a perceived prognosis (66 (SD21) vs. 69 (SD19), p = 0.01), specifically in patients who perceived a limited rather than a longer prognosis (57 (SD22) vs. 70 (SD19), p < 0.01). Global QoL of patients who did not want to know their prognosis was comparable to patients who did not know for other reasons (71 (SD19) vs. 69 (SD19), p = 0.22). Conclusion: More than half of the patients with advanced cancer have no perception of their prognosis. Patients with a perceived prognosis have lower HRQoL, but only in patients who perceived their prognosis as limited (< 1 year) and were probably closer to the end of life, which more likely determines their poorer HRQoL, rather than prognostic perception. Ignorance of prognosis is not associated with lower HRQoL, however, should not hamper appropriate palliative care.
KW - Advanced cancer
KW - Palliative care
KW - Perceived prognosis
KW - Quality of life
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85147969577&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-023-07631-8
DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-023-07631-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 36781515
SN - 0941-4355
VL - 31
JO - Supportive Care in Cancer
JF - Supportive Care in Cancer
IS - 3
M1 - 165
ER -