An Approach to Assess Quality of Life Through Biometric Monitoring in Cancer Patients

Abstract

Cancer is a serious disease that causes significant disability and suffering, so naturally Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) is a major concern of patients, families and clinicians. This paper intends to relate biometric indices, in terms of HRV metrics, with self-perceived HRQoL from patients with lymphoma. Patients (N = 12) answered FACT questionnaire and used a smartband that collected biometrical data in real-time along the chemotherapy treatment. Our results revealed that Physical Well-Being, Total, Lymphoma subscale and FACT-Lym Trial Outcome domains seem to have a similar pattern that HRV metrics across the treatment cycles. In specific, the FACT domains and the HRV metrics have the lowest average levels on the first cycle and seem to increase along the following cycles (3 rd and 6 th cycles). This approach of continuous assessment of HRQoL will enable a better accuracy and more supported clinical decision.

Biometrics and quality of life of lymphoma patients: A longitudinal mixed‐model approach

“…The Emotional well‐being has its minimum in the pretreatment. In general, these results are in accordance with previous research and with commonly reports by Lymphoma patients (Hlubocky et al, 2013; Silva et al, 2019). However, these effects may be reversed with physical activity which is recommended in cancer treatment (Courneya et al, 2009; Leak et al, 2011).…”

“…The same can be observed in the Trial Outcome, Lymphoma, Total and Physical well‐being domains and the pNN50; the Trial Outcome, Lymphoma, Physical well‐being and the indices RMSSD and SDSD. These results are consistent with the previous finding and seem to suggest that individuals are more severely affected in the first cycle exhibiting lower HRV and lower self‐perceived HRQoL (Silva et al, 2019). During the chemotherapy, it is expected to found lower HRV in individuals according to the literature and reversible with the end of the treatment cessation (Kloter et al, 2018).…”

“…The scores of the functional well‐being were found to be lower at all‐time points which is a common phenomenon in lymphoma patients and survivors particularly problematic when exists additional chronic conditions (Leak, Mayer, & Smith, 2011; Silva et al, 2019). The first cycle presents a particularly difficult moment reflected on the FACT‐Lym Trial Outcome Index, Physical Well‐Being, Lymphoma Subscale and Total domains.…”

“…Lower HRV, in particular the RMSSD index, was also associated with higher fatigue in breast cancer survivors (Crosswell, Lockwood, Ganz, & Bower, 2014; Fagundes et al, 2011). A previous study with haemato‐oncological patients found that some subdomains of HRQoL, in particular Physical Well‐Being, Total, Lymphoma subscale and FACT‐Lym Trial Outcome, had similar longitudinal patterns as HRV indices namely the SDNN and RMSSD (Silva et al, 2019). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify potential HRV indices that are able to predict HRQoL in lymphoma patients throughout chemotherapy treatment.…”