PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 433 - 11 Oct 2003

QOL with adjuvant chemotherapyin breast cancer

Health-related QOL decreases during adjuvantchemotherapy among women with high-risk breastcancer, although the effects "tend to decline after the endof treatment", say researchers from Sweden, Norwayand Finland.

They assessed QOL among 408 such women (aged25–61 years) enrolled in the Scandinavian Breast Group9401 study who were randomised to receive one of thefollowing adjuvant treatments during the period1994–1998:• nine courses of tailored treatment with fluorouracil,

epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (FEC) therapy (n= 197)

• three courses of induction FEC therapy followed byhigh-dose cyclophosphamide, thiotepa andcarboplatin supported by peripheral blood stemcells.*

During the first weeks of treatment, both regimenshad a statistically significant negative influence on QOLas measured using the European Organization for theResearch and Treatment of Cancer Quality of LifeQuestionnaire C-30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the EORTCQLQ-Breast Cancer Module (BR)-23.** However, at 1year following randomisation, QOL was similar tobaseline levels among both groups of patients. Notably,FEC therapy, followed by cyclophosphamide, thiotepaand carboplatin, was associated with a "morepronounced deterioration" of QOL, but QOL alsoreturned more quickly to baseline levels compared withtailored FEC therapy, the researchers remark. Therewere no overall QOL differences between the twotherapies.* The study was supported in part by grants from Amgen/Roche andPharmacia Upjohn.** QOL was assessed at eight time points from baseline to 1 yearfollowing randomisation.

Brandberg Y, et al. Quality of life in women with breast cancer during the firstyear after random assignment to adjuvant treatment with marrow-supported high-dose chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, thiotepa, and carboplatin or tailoredtherapy with fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide: Scandinavian BreastGroup Study 9401. Journal of Clinical Oncology 21: 3659-3664, No. 19, 1 Oct2003 800958004

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PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 11 Oct 2003 No. 4331173-5503/10/0433-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved