Quality of life versus prolongation of life in patients treated with chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer: A review of randomized controlled clinical trials

SJ de Kort; PHB Willemse; JM Habraken; HCJM de Haes; DL Willems; DJ Richel

doi:10.1016/j.ejca.2005.10.026

Quality of life versus prolongation of life in patients treated with chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer: A review of randomized controlled clinical trials

SJ de Kort^*, PHB Willemse, JM Habraken, HCJM de Haes, DL Willems, DJ Richel

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › Academic › peer-review

23 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Oncologists disagree if chemotherapy in advanced cancer can improve quality of life (QoL), to prolong duration of life, or both. The objective of this study was to clarify the main treatment intention of palliative chemotherapy (PCT): the prolongation of life (PoL); or QoL. Randomized controlled clinical trials of PCT in advanced colorectal cancer that included HRQoL assessment were selected from PubMed and reviewed. Authors' conclusions were based on both PoL- and QoL-related outcomes. However, if PoL and QoL outcomes of the experimental arm were opposite, which was the case in 13 out of 28 trials, the authors generally based their conclusion on PoL outcomes. Authors' conclusions focused mainly on Pol.-related outcomes, while QoL-related outcomes were of overriding importance in only 1/28 case. QoL can therefore not be considered as the main outcome of PCT. The review shows that in the context of chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer, 'palliative' refers to a life-prolonging intention, whereas within palliative care it refers to an improvement in QoL. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	835-845
Number of pages	11
Journal	European Journal of Cancer
Volume	42
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2005.10.026
Publication status	Published - May-2006

Keywords

review
quality of life
toxicity
survival gain
chemotherapy
advanced colorectal cancer
PHASE-III
FLUOROURACIL FAILURE
1ST-LINE TREATMENT
LIVER METASTASES
ORAL LEUCOVORIN
MITOMYCIN-C
PLUS
IRINOTECAN
INFUSION
5-FLUOROURACIL

Access to Document

10.1016/j.ejca.2005.10.026

Cite this

@article{bd73a4c460a84e1f90400b834b01d255,

title = "Quality of life versus prolongation of life in patients treated with chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer: A review of randomized controlled clinical trials",

abstract = "Oncologists disagree if chemotherapy in advanced cancer can improve quality of life (QoL), to prolong duration of life, or both. The objective of this study was to clarify the main treatment intention of palliative chemotherapy (PCT): the prolongation of life (PoL); or QoL. Randomized controlled clinical trials of PCT in advanced colorectal cancer that included HRQoL assessment were selected from PubMed and reviewed. Authors' conclusions were based on both PoL- and QoL-related outcomes. However, if PoL and QoL outcomes of the experimental arm were opposite, which was the case in 13 out of 28 trials, the authors generally based their conclusion on PoL outcomes. Authors' conclusions focused mainly on Pol.-related outcomes, while QoL-related outcomes were of overriding importance in only 1/28 case. QoL can therefore not be considered as the main outcome of PCT. The review shows that in the context of chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer, 'palliative' refers to a life-prolonging intention, whereas within palliative care it refers to an improvement in QoL. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",

keywords = "review, quality of life, toxicity, survival gain, chemotherapy, advanced colorectal cancer, PHASE-III, FLUOROURACIL FAILURE, 1ST-LINE TREATMENT, LIVER METASTASES, ORAL LEUCOVORIN, MITOMYCIN-C, PLUS, IRINOTECAN, INFUSION, 5-FLUOROURACIL",

author = "{de Kort}, SJ and PHB Willemse and JM Habraken and {de Haes}, HCJM and DL Willems and DJ Richel",

year = "2006",

month = may,

doi = "10.1016/j.ejca.2005.10.026",

language = "English",

volume = "42",

pages = "835--845",

journal = "European Journal of Cancer",

issn = "0959-8049",

publisher = "ELSEVIER SCI LTD",

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Quality of life versus prolongation of life in patients treated with chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer : A review of randomized controlled clinical trials. / de Kort, SJ; Willemse, PHB; Habraken, JM; de Haes, HCJM; Willems, DL; Richel, DJ.

In: European Journal of Cancer, Vol. 42, No. 7, 05.2006, p. 835-845.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › Academic › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Quality of life versus prolongation of life in patients treated with chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer

T2 - A review of randomized controlled clinical trials

AU - de Kort, SJ

AU - Willemse, PHB

AU - Habraken, JM

AU - de Haes, HCJM

AU - Willems, DL

AU - Richel, DJ

PY - 2006/5

Y1 - 2006/5

N2 - Oncologists disagree if chemotherapy in advanced cancer can improve quality of life (QoL), to prolong duration of life, or both. The objective of this study was to clarify the main treatment intention of palliative chemotherapy (PCT): the prolongation of life (PoL); or QoL. Randomized controlled clinical trials of PCT in advanced colorectal cancer that included HRQoL assessment were selected from PubMed and reviewed. Authors' conclusions were based on both PoL- and QoL-related outcomes. However, if PoL and QoL outcomes of the experimental arm were opposite, which was the case in 13 out of 28 trials, the authors generally based their conclusion on PoL outcomes. Authors' conclusions focused mainly on Pol.-related outcomes, while QoL-related outcomes were of overriding importance in only 1/28 case. QoL can therefore not be considered as the main outcome of PCT. The review shows that in the context of chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer, 'palliative' refers to a life-prolonging intention, whereas within palliative care it refers to an improvement in QoL. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

AB - Oncologists disagree if chemotherapy in advanced cancer can improve quality of life (QoL), to prolong duration of life, or both. The objective of this study was to clarify the main treatment intention of palliative chemotherapy (PCT): the prolongation of life (PoL); or QoL. Randomized controlled clinical trials of PCT in advanced colorectal cancer that included HRQoL assessment were selected from PubMed and reviewed. Authors' conclusions were based on both PoL- and QoL-related outcomes. However, if PoL and QoL outcomes of the experimental arm were opposite, which was the case in 13 out of 28 trials, the authors generally based their conclusion on PoL outcomes. Authors' conclusions focused mainly on Pol.-related outcomes, while QoL-related outcomes were of overriding importance in only 1/28 case. QoL can therefore not be considered as the main outcome of PCT. The review shows that in the context of chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer, 'palliative' refers to a life-prolonging intention, whereas within palliative care it refers to an improvement in QoL. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

KW - review

KW - quality of life

KW - toxicity

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KW - chemotherapy

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KW - FLUOROURACIL FAILURE

KW - 1ST-LINE TREATMENT

KW - LIVER METASTASES

KW - ORAL LEUCOVORIN

KW - MITOMYCIN-C

KW - PLUS

KW - IRINOTECAN

KW - INFUSION

KW - 5-FLUOROURACIL

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DO - 10.1016/j.ejca.2005.10.026

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JO - European Journal of Cancer

JF - European Journal of Cancer

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ER -