Quality of Life in Uveal Melanoma Patients in Ireland: A Single-Centre Survey

Abstract

Background: Uveal melanoma and its treatment can influence the physical and psychological well-being of patients in a way that differs from other cancers. Factors influencing quality of life (QOL) include visual impairment, changes in appearance, day-to-day functioning, ocular discomfort, and worry regarding disease recurrence. Objective: We aimed to study both general and disease-specific QOL in uveal melanoma patients in Ireland and compare QOL between a plaque radiotherapy group and an enucleation treatment group. This information was sought to enhance our understanding of QOL issues for uveal melanoma patients, in the context of improving care and providing appropriate psychosocial support. Method: The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QOL questionnaires QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OPT30 were completed by patients with uveal melanoma treated by enucleation or brachytherapy. Results: 138 of 206 patients completed the questionnaires. There was no significant difference in QOL scores between treatment groups. Thirty-two percent of patients reported concerns about tumour recurrence elsewhere in the body. The brachytherapy group had a significantly higher “role functioning” score (p = 0.030). Enucleation patients were more likely to have problems with appearance (p < 0.0005). Younger patients (12–54 years of age) were more likely to report headaches (p < 0.0005) and problems with reading (p = 0.042), and they had a lower cognitive functioning score (p = 0.003) than those aged ≥55 years. Conclusions: There was no significant difference in reported QOL between treatment groups. Our data identified a number of vulnerable patient subgroups. By anticipating which patients are more likely to suffer in terms of certain aspects of their QOL, we are better able to provide appropriate and timely psychosocial support.

The Correlation Between Radiotherapy and Patients' Fear of Cancer Recurrence

“…The total sample size of 35 studies was 13 018 (ranging from 30 to 2671), and the age of study subjects ranged from 14 to 73 years. Five studies did not report the age of study subjects 27,30,39,47,49 . With regard to FCR measurement tools, 14 studies did not report reliability and validity 15,18,24,26,29,30,32,39–41,46–49,51 .…”

“…The finding of studies did not reach a consistent conclusion about the correlation between FCR and RT. Twenty studies showed that no statistical significance existed between FCR and RT 15,18,19,24,26–29,33,36,38–40,42–44,47–50 . Two studies showed that receiving RT was a protective factor of FCR 21,45 .…”

“…27,30,39,47,49 With regard to FCR measurement tools, 14 studies did not report reliability and validity. 15,18,24,26,29,30,32,[39][40][41][46][47][48][49]51 The scale had items ranging from 1 to 42, and some studies measured FCR with selfwritten questions. 15,18,30,37,39 The main characteristics of the included research studies are shown in Table 1.…”

Quality of life and treatment-related burden during ocular proton therapy: a prospective trial of 131 patients with uveal melanoma

“…Summary tables including all correlation heatmaps, final multiple linear regression models and figures on marginal means are provided as an attachment to this article (Additional files 1, 2, 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22.…”

“…The QOL of patients after UM treatment has been investigated in numerous studies over the past few years, and different treatment methods have been compared [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. However, studies on the pre-treatment QOL, with a focus on the treatment procedure, are rare.…”