Quality of life after palliative radiotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer: A prospective study

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in respirator y symptoms and quality of life (QoL) in patients with locally advanced and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving thoracic radiothera py. Additionally, the correlation between the level of symptom relief and o bjective tumor response was investigated. Methods and Materials: Sixty-five patients were entered in this prospective study. The EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-LC13 were used to investigate chang es in QoL, Assessments were performed before radiotherapy and 2 weeks, 6 we eks, and 3 months after radiotherapy. Results: The QoL response rates were excellent for hemoptysis (79%); good f or arm/shoulder pain (56%), chest wall pain (53%), and cough (49%); moderat e for dyspnea (39%); and minimal for the general symptoms fatigue (22%) and appetite loss (11%), The QoL response rates for the five functioning scale s of the QLQ-C30 varied from 35% for role functioning to 57% for emotional functioning. Global QoL improved in 37% of the cases. In general, there was a tendency for better palliation of symptoms and improvement of QoL among patients with an objective tumor response than among those without objectiv e tumor response, which was statistically significant for dyspnea (p = 0.02 ) and social functioning (p = 0.04). Conclusions: This study confirms that conventional thoracic radiotherapy of fers palliation of respiratory symptoms and improved QoL in a substantial p roportion of patients with locally advanced and metastatic NSCLC, Tumor red uction is only one of the mechanisms by which palliation of symptoms and im provement of QoL is achieved. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc.