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Relationship of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Stage and Hepatic Function to Health-Related Quality of Life: A Single

Amol Gupta1, Jane Zorzi1, Won Jin Ho1

  • 1The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.

Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 28, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in liver cancer patients is often impaired, particularly with worse liver function (Child-Pugh B vs. A). Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage did not significantly correlate with HRQoL outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Hepatology
  • Quality of Life Research

Background:

  • Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a critical prognostic indicator and clinical endpoint for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.
  • The relationship between the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system and HRQoL in HCC has not been previously investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between BCLC stage, Child-Pugh (CP) score, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status with HRQoL in HCC patients.
  • To determine the correlation of clinical staging and liver function with patient-reported quality of life metrics.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 51 HCC patients presenting at a multidisciplinary liver cancer clinic were assessed.
  • HRQoL was measured using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Hepatobiliary (FACT-Hep) questionnaire.
  • Statistical analysis explored relationships between BCLC stage, CP score, ECOG status, and FACT-Hep scores.

Main Results:

  • No significant association was found between BCLC stages and the FACT-Hep total or subscale scores (p = 0.224).
  • Patients with Child-Pugh B score demonstrated significantly greater HRQoL impairment compared to those with Child-Pugh A score.
  • Impaired liver function, indicated by CP score, was directly associated with reduced quality of life in HCC patients.

Conclusions:

  • In HCC patients, impaired liver function is linked to diminished quality of life, while BCLC stage shows a weak correlation with HRQoL.
  • Reduced quality of life is prevalent among HCC patients, highlighting the need for further research into early supportive interventions.
  • Future studies should investigate the impact of early supportive care interventions on both HRQoL and survival outcomes in HCC.

Keywords:
Child–Pugh scorehealth-related quality of lifehepatocellular carcinoma

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