QOL with adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer

PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 433 - 11 Oct 2003 QOL with adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer Health-related QOL decreases during adjuvant chemotherapy among women with high-risk breast cancer, although the effects "tend to decline after the end of treatment", say researchers from Sweden, Norway and Finland. They assessed QOL among 408 such women (aged 25–61 years) enrolled in the Scandinavian Breast Group 9401 study who were randomised to receive one of the following adjuvant treatments during the period 1994–1998: • nine courses of tailored treatment with fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (FEC) therapy (n = 197) • three courses of induction FEC therapy followed by high-dose cyclophosphamide, thiotepa and carboplatin supported by peripheral blood stem cells. * During the first weeks of treatment, both regimens had a statistically significant negative influence on QOL as measured using the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C-30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the EORTC QLQ-Breast Cancer Module (BR)-23. ** However, at 1 year following randomisation, QOL was similar to baseline levels among both groups of patients. Notably, FEC therapy, followed by cyclophosphamide, thiotepa and carboplatin, was associated with a "more pronounced deterioration" of QOL, but QOL also returned more quickly to baseline levels compared with tailored FEC therapy, the researchers remark. There were no overall QOL differences between the two therapies. * The study was supported in part by grants from Amgen/Roche and Pharmacia Upjohn. ** QOL was assessed at eight time points from baseline to 1 year following randomisation. Brandberg Y, et al. Quality of life in women with breast cancer during the first year after random assignment to adjuvant treatment with marrow-supported high- dose chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, thiotepa, and carboplatin or tailored therapy with fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide: Scandinavian Breast Group Study 9401. Journal of Clinical Oncology 21: 3659-3664, No. 19, 1 Oct 2003 800958004 1 PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 11 Oct 2003 No. 433 1173-5503/10/0433-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved

date post
23-Dec-2016
Category

Documents
view
219
download
0

Embed Size (px):

Transcript of QOL with adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer

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