Prospective Assessment of Demographic Characteristics Associated With Worse Health-Related Quality of Life Measures Following Definitive Chemoradiation in Patients With Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate baseline demographic characteristics which may be associated with worse health related quality of life (HRQOL) for patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving definitive chemoradiation (CRT). Materials Patients with NSCLC were prospectively enrolled on an Institutional Review Board-approved clinical trial between 2009 and 2012. HRQOL assessments were collected pre-radiation therapy (RT), during RT, and within 3 months post-RT using Euroqol (EQ-5D), MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI), and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy General (FACT-G). HRQOL correlation was assessed with categorical variables by Wilcoxon rank sum tests and with continuous variables by Pearson correlation. P<0.05 was defined as statistically significant. Results Forty-three consecutive patients received definitive concurrent CRT and completed assessments at one or more time-points. Patients most commonly had stage IIIB disease (72%), were married or with a partner (70%) and Caucasian (91%). Median patient age was 65 (range: 39-79) years and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) was 0 (range: 0-5). Female gender, African-American ethnicity, age, chemotherapy type, baseline hemoglobin, and CCI were associated with worse post-treatment HRQOL measures. Conclusions We have identified novel characteristics associated with worse quality of life following definitive CRT for lung cancer. Patients at risk for worse post-treatment quality of life may benefit from earlier follow-up and greater supportive measures following treatment.