Association Between Health-Related Quality of Life In Patients with Colorectal Cancer and Their Informal Caregivers

Cancer care increasingly relies on informal caregivers, and patients and caregivers are often managed and studied as patient-caregiver dyads. However, evidence on the association between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in colorectal cancer patients and their caregivers remains limited. This study aimed to examine the association between patients' and caregivers' HRQoL and identify factors associated with caregivers' HRQoL.

A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted involving 119 colorectal cancer patient-caregiver dyads. HRQoL for both patients and caregivers was assessed using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire. Descriptive analyses were performed, followed by Tobit regression to evaluate the association between patient and caregiver EQ-5D-5L utility scores and by logistic regression to examine the associations between patients' EQ-5D-5L utility scores and caregivers' HRQoL dimensions.

The mean EQ-5D-5L utility score was 0.936 (SD 0.060) for caregivers and 0.747 (SD 0.263) for patients. Pain/discomfort (44.54%) and anxiety/depression (43.70%) were the most commonly reported problems among caregivers. Patients' HRQoL was positively associated with caregivers' HRQoL (p = 0.045). Patients' duration since diagnosis and clinical stage, as well as caregivers' educational level, were significantly associated with caregivers' HRQoL. Patients' EQ-5D-5L utility score was also significantly associated with caregivers' reporting of anxiety/depression (OR = 0.112, p = 0.026).

HRQoL in colorectal cancer patients was significantly associated with that of their caregivers, underscoring the importance of considering both members of the patient-caregiver dyad in clinical care. These findings support routine caregiver assessment and suggest that psychologically informed supportive care may be considered in colorectal cancer nursing care and survivorship planning.