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Predicting survival in advanced hematologic malignancies: do patient-reported symptoms matter?
Fabio Efficace1, Claudio Cartoni, Pasquale Niscola
1Data Center and Health Outcomes Research Unit, Italian Group for Adult Hematologic Diseases, Rome, Italy. f.efficace@gimema.it
European Journal of Haematology
|September 19, 2012
Summary
Patient-reported symptoms, like drowsiness, offer independent prognostic insights for survival in hematologic malignancies. This highlights the importance of collecting patient symptom data in clinical practice.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Oncology
- Clinical Prognostics
Background:
- Prognostic factors for hematologic malignancies are crucial for patient management.
- Patient-reported symptoms may offer valuable, yet often underutilized, prognostic information.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if patient-reported symptoms independently predict survival in patients with hematologic malignancies.
- To assess the prognostic value of the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) in this patient population.
Main Methods:
- An observational study included 119 patients with various hematologic malignancies.
- Symptoms were assessed using the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI).
- Cox proportional hazards regression and sensitivity analyses were employed to identify independent prognostic factors for survival.
Main Results:
- Median survival for the cohort was 4.8 months.
- The patient's self-reported severity of drowsiness was an independent predictor of survival (HR 1.801, P=0.033).
- Clinical prognostic group also independently predicted survival.
Conclusions:
- Patient self-reported symptoms, specifically drowsiness, provide independent prognostic information for survival in hematologic malignancies.
- Integrating patient-reported symptom data into routine clinical practice is valuable for improving prognostic assessment.
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