Quality of life changes during conformal radiation therapy for prostate carcinoma

BACKGROUND, The objective of this study was to describe prospectively duali ty of life (QOL) before and after radiotherapy for patients with prostate c arcinoma. METHODS. Forty-three patients with T1-T3 prostate carcinoma who underwent c onformal external beam radiation therapy were randomized either to the comp lete European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QOL questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) or the Medical Outcomes Study Group Short Fo rm Wealth Survey (SF-36) at baseline, at 3 weeks and 6 weeks after initial treatment, and at 6 weeks and 5 months after the completion BE radiotherapy . The measures were self-reported patient QOL, and values are given as the mean +/- standard error of the mean. Changes in QOL are described from base line to the end of treatment in both questionnaire groups. RESULTS. Emotional role functioning, as measured with the SF-36 questionnai re, significantly improved from 68.2 +/- 9.9 at baseline to 93.3 +/- 5.2 at the end of therapy (P = 0.02). The EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire revealed co nsistent values of emotional functioning during treatment (72.7 +/- 5.9 at baseline) but showed a significant improvement 6 weeks after therapy (89.0 +/- 4.4; P = 0.01). Role functioning deteriorated from 80.1 +/-: 6.5 at bas eline to 62.5 +/- 8.8 at the end of radiotherapy (P = 0.02). Symptoms of fa tigue were shown to increase significantly from 26.9 +/- 6.0 at baseline to 37.7 +/- 7.6 at the end of therapy (P = 0.02). No significant changes in t he other dimensions were observed in either questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS, After radiotherapy for prostate carcinoma, patients experience a temporary deterioration of fatigue and role functioning as measured with the EORTC QLQ-C-30. Despite physical deterioration, the authors observed a n improvement in emotional functioning scores with both questionnaires. Thi s may have been due to psychological adaptation and coping. (C) 2000 Americ an Cancer Society.