Health-related quality of life in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatic resection, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, radiofrequency ablation or no treatment

• Published in: Surgical oncology Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. e23 - e30
• Main Authors: Toro, Adriana, Pulvirenti, Elia, Palermo, Filippo, Di Carlo, Isidoro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2012; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - psychology; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - therapy; Catheter Ablation - methods; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic - methods; Combined Modality Therapy; Emotions; Family Health; Female; Health Status; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; Hepatectomy - methods; Hepatic resection; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Liver Neoplasms - psychology; Liver Neoplasms - therapy; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - psychology; Quality of Life; Radiofrequency ablation; Surgery; Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization; Treatment Outcome; FACT-G; FACT-Hep; computed tomography (CT); Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Hepatobiliary; ns; NT; Hepatic resection; Hepatocellular carcinoma; HR; 6 months; RFA; Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy General; QoL; 12mo; 3mo; 6mo; physical well-being; Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization; GE; GF; additional concerns; indocyanine green clearance; 24 months; Radiofrequency ablation; TACE; social/family well-being; emotional well-being; functional well-being; HCC; GP; ICG; GS; Quality of life; transcatheter chemioembolization; CT; HEP; 3 months; 24mo; not significant; 12 months; no treatment
• ISSN: 0960-7404; 1879-3320
• DOI: 10.1016/j.suronc.2011.10.005

Abstract Background Aim of this work was to compare quality of life (QoL) of patients affected by HCC and submitted to hepatic resection (HR), transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), radiofrequency ablation (RFA), or no treatment (NT). Methods Patients affected by HCC between 2001 and 2009 were considered for this study. Gender, diabetes, hepatitis status, Child grade, tumor size, and recurrence were analyzed. QoL was assessed before treatment and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after, using a FACT-Hep questionnaire. P value was considered significant if <0.01 and highly significant if <0.001. Results Fourteen patients (27.45%) were treated with HR, 15 patients (29.41%) underwent TACE, RFA was performed in 9 patients (17.65%), and 13 patients (25.49%) were not treated. Physical well-being, social/family well-being, emotional well-being, functional well-being and additional concerns 24 months after HR were significantly higher compared to all other treatments. Conclusions Hepatic resection provides the best QoL at 24 months. RFA provides a worse QoL compared to HR, but a higher QoL compared to TACE or NT.