Quality-of-life in elderly patients with cancer: A short review

Conceptual equivalence of items and semantic equivalence of the Brazilian version of the EORTC QLQ-ELD14 instrument to evaluate the quality of life of elderly people with cancer

“…Some studies have already investigated quality of life evaluation among this specific population. Wedding et al 19 offers a brief review, concluding that many studies about older people with cancer have used questionnaires not specifically designed for this population, resulting in possible bias in their findings.…”

“…Older cancer patients are often treated with non-curative intent and may be vulnerable to the toxic side effects of treatment 19 . Quality of life assessment is helpful in adequately balancing treatment benefits and side effects, providing the instrument used in the evaluation is valid and reliable 13,19 . Some studies have already investigated quality of life evaluation among this specific population.…”

“…A significant number of scales and questionnaires aiming at evaluating quality of life have been developed and used. There are general instruments, appropriate for assessing a number of health problems, and specific instruments, designed to evaluate aspects that are exclusive to selected diseases and/or treatments 19,20 .…”

Lebensqualität und Ethik als wichtige Grundsatzfragen der geriatrischen Onkologie

“…Interessanterweise war in einigen Studien, wie sich dies auch schon für andere geriatrische Patienten gezeigt hatte, die «gesundheitsbezogene» Lebensqualität bei älteren Tumorpatienten auch ein prädiktiver Faktor für die Überlebenszeit [12,13]. Neben einer Depression sind bei älteren Tumorpatienten auch andere Komorbiditäten ein unabhängiger Risikofaktor für eine schlechtere Lebensqualität [11][12][13][14][15][16].…”

Geriatric Oncology: How Far Have We Gone and What Are the Next Steps?

“…These efforts will certainly translate into a better care of elderly cancer patients with regard to assessment-guided treatment and patients’ information and consent. It has been shown that despite old age, patients would sometimes, but not always, trade better health versus expanded life [9, 10], emphasizing the need for complete patient information when it comes to choosing between chemotherapy or best supportive care. Guidelines from the French ‘Plan Cancer’ have also contributed to the onset of multidisciplinary committees in oncology, where oncologists, radiotherapists, specialists and possibly general practitioners (GPs) gather to establish a recommended treatment plan for the patients.…”