Abstract
Background. Advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is often treated by surgery or X-ray therapy. The consequences of X-ray therapy on the patients' health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) have so far not been described. Objectives. To quantify quality of life in BCC patients before and after X-ray therapy compared with matched healthy controls. Materials. Twenty-five patients (mean age 69) with BCC completed the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) before and two weeks and three months after X-ray therapy and their results were compared with the DLQI scores for 25 matched controls. Results. Compared to the healthy controls the patients' DLQI score was significantly higher before and 2 weeks after X-ray therapy (P = 0.005; P = 0.000). The patients' DLQI score decreased significantly from baseline to three months after X-ray therapy (P = 0.024), when it became similar to that of the healthy controls (P = 0.819). Three months after X-ray therapy eight patients had no skin reactions, 11 had slight atrophy, pigmentation change, and/or some hair loss, four had patch atrophy, moderate telangiectasia, and/or total hair loss. Conclusions. BCC has a negative effect on patients' quality of life. The study shows that HRQOL normalises shortly after X-ray therapy, despite minor skin manifestations.
Highlights
Nonmelanoma skin cancers include basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma, and more uncommon entities such as Merkel cell carcinoma [1, 2]
Two studies have used the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) to assess health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) in patients with BCC who have been treated with cryotherapy, curretage, excision, and Mohs for BCC surgery [5, 6], but no reports are available on HRQOL in patients with BCC treated by X-ray
The study population consisted of 25 patients with BCC treated by X-ray (40 Gy, KV 40 in 10 fractions over two weeks) and 25 healthy controls without skin diseases matched by gender and age (Table 1)
Summary
The consequences of X-ray therapy on the patients’ health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) have so far not been described. To quantify quality of life in BCC patients before and after X-ray therapy compared with matched healthy controls. Twenty-five patients (mean age 69) with BCC completed the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) before and two weeks and three months after X-ray therapy and their results were compared with the DLQI scores for 25 matched controls. Compared to the healthy controls the patients’ DLQI score was significantly higher before and 2 weeks after X-ray therapy (P = 0.005; P = 0.000). The patients’ DLQI score decreased significantly from baseline to three months after X-ray therapy (P = 0.024), when it became similar to that of the healthy controls (P = 0.819). The study shows that HRQOL normalises shortly after X-ray therapy, despite minor skin manifestations
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