Predicting survival with health-related quality of life scores in locally advanced breast cancer: Results from an international randomized controlled trial

Abstract

618 Background: Whilst evidence suggests that baseline health related quality of life (HRQOL) scores predict survival in metastatic cancer patients, few trials have examined prognostic HRQOL factors in non-metastatic cancer patients. In this international phase III randomized controlled trial (RCT), we address these issues and retrospectively explore if baseline HRQOL scores predict survival in locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) patients. Methods: 435 LABC patients were enrolled over a period of three years randomized to receive in arm A: F (500 mg/m2 IV d1, 8 q 28 d x 6), E (60 mg/m2 IV d1, 8) and C (75 mg/m2 p.o. d1–14) versus E (120 mg/m2 IV d 1), C (830 mg/m2 IV d 1) and G-CSF (5 ug/kg/d s.c. d 2–13) q 14 d x 6 in arm B. HRQOL was assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 with baseline assessments being conducted before randomization. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used for both univariate and multivariate analyses of survival. In addition, a bootstrap re-sampling technique was used to as...