Abstract
BackgroundBoth incidence and survival rates of hematological cancers are increasing, leading to a growing number of survivors with specific late and long-term effects. However, relevant research in physical, psychological and social aspects of quality of life is scarce. Existing literature shows that a considerable number of cancer survivors report a relatively high quality of life despite a variety of adverse and persistent symptoms. To date, the reasons for this phenomenon as well as moderating and mediating factors are widely unknown. Given these research gaps, we aim to investigate the different domains of quality of life among long-term survivors of hematological cancers and to identify factors predicting high quality of life.Methods/DesignThis is a large cross-sectional study among hematological cancer survivors at a minimum of 3 years after diagnosis. We will collect 1000 survivors completing a set of self-report-questionnaires encompassing physical, psychological and social domains of quality of life. Participants are clustered in groups according to time since diagnosis and compared with each other. Furthermore, survivors will be compared with the general population. Factors predicting high quality of life will be identified via multiple regression analyses and structure equation modeling.DiscussionOur study will help to inform health care providers about the specific long-term burden among survivors with hematological malignancies. Identification of factors predicting high quality of life will help to develop adequate intervention strategies to enhance well-being in hematological cancer survivors. Our methodological advantages including the large sample as well as the assessment of different domains of quality of life will ensure novel and robust results. A limitation of the study is the cross-sectional design.
Highlights
Both incidence and survival rates of hematological cancers are increasing, leading to a growing number of survivors with specific late and long-term effects
Identification of factors predicting high quality of life will help to develop adequate intervention strategies to enhance well-being in hematological cancer survivors
In a Europewide study among 6.7 million cancer patients, Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin-Lymphomas were among those types with the highest improvement in survival rates [3]
Summary
Both incidence and survival rates of hematological cancers are increasing, leading to a growing number of survivors with specific late and long-term effects. Compared to other cancer types, only few studies exist assessing quality of life (QoL) in hematological cancer patients [6,7,8]. This is problematic, as hematological cancer types differ from other cancer sites in many aspects. A treatment primarily used among this group is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) [14], which negatively affects a variety symptoms up to 10 years after HSCT [14,15,16,17,18,19,20] All these features negatively impact the patients’ lives in many aspects. Hematological cancer patients have a three-fold increased risk for quitting work due to cancer when compared to colorectal cancer survivors [21]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
