Determinants and prognostic value of quality of life in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Abstract Background Quality of life (QOL) is impaired in pancreatic cancer patients. Our aim was to investigate the determinants and prognostic value of QOL after diagnosis in a hospital-based cohort of racially/ethnically diverse patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Patients and methods QOL was prospectively assessed using the Short Form-12 in 2478 PDAC patients. The Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) were categorised into tertiles based on their distribution. Ordered logistic regression was adopted to compare the risk of having lower PCS and MCS by patient sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. The association of PCS and MCS with mortality was assessed by Cox regression. Results Compared with non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics were at significantly higher risk of having lower PCS (odds ratio [95% CI], 1.69 [1.26–2.26]; P P P  = 0.02) and stage IV (2.32 [1.50–3.59]; P P P Conclusion QOL after diagnosis is a significant prognostic indicator for patients with PDAC. Multiple factors determine QOL, suggesting possible means of intervention to improve QOL and outcomes of PDAC patients.