Patient-reported outcome measures: do they improve the quality of supportive care in advanced non-small cell lung cancer?

Abstract

<b>Introduction:</b> Implementation of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) may augment quality of care in lung cancer, but further data are needed to validate their exact clinical relevance in routine clinical practice. <b>Aim:</b> We herein aimed to investigate the effect of a PROMs tool on palliative care outcomes and overall quality of life (QoL) in patients with advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). <b>Methods:</b> 100 adult patients with stage IV NSCLC, diagnosed and treated at the Oncology Unit of “Sotiria” Athens General Hospital, were prospectively enrolled and randomized into two groups: the control group (routine supportive care) and the experimental group (supportive care guided by PROMs). Both groups completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire‐Lung Cancer 13 (QLQ‐LC13) at two consecutive assessments/time points, i.e. before administration of two consecutive treatments. <b>Results:</b> A statistically significant increase in the subscales "Physical Functionality" (p = 0.047) and "Emotional Functionality" (p = 0.002), as well as a decrease in the subscales "Fatigue" (p &lt;0.001), "Nausea and Vomiting" (p &lt;0.001), "Pain" (p = 0.002), "Sleep Disorders" (p &lt; 0.001), "Loss of appetite" (p &lt;0.001) and "Constipation" (p &lt;0.001) were observed from the 1st to the 2nd measurement in the experimental group. A trend towards improved overall QoL was also noted in the experimental group, albeit without reaching statistical significance. <b>Conclusions:</b> Providing supportive care according to lung-cancer specific PROMs may improve symptomatic control in advanced NSCLC.