Health-related quality-of-life in patients with cholangiocarcinoma: Results of a systematic literature review.

Abstract

e15623 Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a rare biliary tract cancer (BTC) with a historically poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Both quality and quantity of life can be important factors when deciding treatment, thus assessment of health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) is needed to justify the use of novel therapies. HRQoL questionnaires are a standardized way to understand the patients’ perspective and treatment experience. The objective of this review was to examine the published literature specific to HRQoL in CCA. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using EMBASE and MEDLINE from Jan 2008 to June 2018 to identify abstracts with published HRQoL data in CCA patients. This review also included global conference proceedings (2015-2018) and HTA websites. Articles were considered relevant if they reported HRQoL data in patients with CCA, bile duct carcinoma, and/or hepatobiliary system cancer. Results: Of the 2,933 studies initially identified, 7 ongoing or completed studies met the scoping criteria to be included in the review. No articles in this literature review reported data from clinical trials. Multiple HRQoL measures were utilized; however within the studies, EORTC QLQ-BIL21 was the only HRQoL measure developed and validated specifically for BTC (CCA, gallbladder, or ampulla vater) identified in this review. 3/7 studies included information on CCA subtypes (intrahepatic, extrahepatic) with 2/3 studies reporting HRQoL by subtype. Patient symptoms were reported in 4/7 studies, including gastrointestinal distress, abdominal pain, fatigue, fever, itching, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, jaundice and weight loss. Conclusions: Within this literature review, few studies have been published with HRQoL data in CCA patients. Data from the existing published literature is generally from a heterogeneous patient population, and not consistently specified for CCA stage or subtype. To better understand HRQoL in CCA patients, more data needs to be generated that include clinical trials for novel therapies.