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Autografting

A prospective evaluation of patients' health-related quality of life during auto-SCT: a 3-year follow-up

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 46, pages 1345–1352 (2011)Cite this article

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Abstract

Few studies have evaluated long-term health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients during auto-SCT. This prospective study examined HRQL in 96 eligible patients before, during and up to 3 years after auto-SCT. The aim of the study was to make a comprehensive assessment of the frequency and severity of different symptoms in patients undergoing auto-SCT. The European Organization for Treatment and Research of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ C-30) was administered 13 times. The second week during treatment was the period when patients had the lowest HRQL regarding both total quality of life and function and symptom scales. The patients recovered quickly and just two months after transplantation the baseline values were restored. Three years after transplantation most of the items in the questionnaire had stabilized, except role function and dyspnea, which had improved. There were significant differences between multiple myeloma (MM) and lymphoma patients’ physical function, quality of life, fatigue and pain during week 2. At the 3-year follow-up, lymphoma patients indicated a better HRQL than MM patients. The quick recovery of patients after transplantation suggests that treatment is well tolerated; however, the supportive care could be improved at week 2, especially for the lymphoma patients.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the patients who generously participated in the study and the Department of Hematology in Linköping for the opportunity to conduct the study. This study was supported by the County Council of Östergötland. We thank Professor Gunnar Juliusson at Lund University Hospital for support and advice of this study and Professor Emeritus Elisabeth Hamrin at the Faculty of Health Sciences at Linköping University for her valuable comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden

    U Frödin & K Lotfi

  2. Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Division of Nursing Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

    S Börjeson

  3. Regional Oncology Center, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden

    J Lyth

  4. Center for Surgery and Oncology, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden

    S Börjeson

  5. Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology/Division of Drug Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

    K Lotfi

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Correspondence to U Frödin.

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Frödin, U., Börjeson, S., Lyth, J. et al. A prospective evaluation of patients' health-related quality of life during auto-SCT: a 3-year follow-up. Bone Marrow Transplant 46, 1345–1352 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2010.304

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