The added value of geriatric assessment in evaluating a patient's Health-Related Quality-of-Life: A study in ≥70-year-old early-stage invasive breast cancer patients.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between geriatric assessment (GA) and health-related Quality-of-Life (HRQOL) in older patients with breast cancer. Patients were assigned either to adjuvant chemotherapy (CTG) or to a control group (CG). Spearman rank coefficients (ρ) calculated correlations between HRQOL and GA at baseline, 3months and 1year. Multivariate regressions modelled the prognostic value of GA in evaluating of a patient's HRQOL and the accuracy of baseline GA in predicting HRQOL decline (change of ≥10 points). The analysis included 57 patients in the CTG and 52 in the CG. Strong correlations (ρ≥0.5) were reported between the EORTC QLQ-C30 Physical Functioning Scale and Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Instrumental ADL (iADL) and Leuven Oncogeriatric Frailty Score Scale (LOFS). Multivariate models demonstrated that poor iADL, ADL and LOFS (CG) and ADL and iADL (CTG) contributed to a statistically (all p<.05) worse HRQOL. The relative gain in predicting 3-month and 1-year HRQOL decline was 24.1% and 4.7% (CG) and 6.1% and 18.3% (CTG). Our results show that the functional measures in the GA are strongly correlated with patient self-reported functioning. Poor baseline GA has a modest probability of predicting HRQOL deterioration.