426P - Impaired quality of life of caregivers of patients with gastrointestinal cancer undergoing palliative chemotherapy

Background

The support for caregivers (CG) of patients with cancer is an essential factor for maintaining the safety and continuity of palliative chemotherapy. Because of insufficient knowledge regarding their QOL, there are no durable strategies for supporting CGs during the treatment.

Methods

We aimed to assess the QOL of the CGs of patients with cancer undergoing palliative chemotherapy. This single-institution, prospective, observational study was approvedby the institutional review board of Ina Central Hospital on July 20th 2016. Total 102 patients undergoing palliative chemotherapy (64 male and 38 female patients; mean age 68.8 years) and their CGs (30 maleand 72 female; mean age 64.3 years) were included. The primary lesions in the patients were pancreatic in 30, colorectal in 21, stomach or duodenal in 21, oesophageal in 18, and biliary in 12. We used EORTC QL-C-30 to assess the QOL of patients and CGs at the beginning of the first-line chemotherapy. A total of 29 of 102 pairs of patients and CGs were assessed at the beginning of the first and second-line chemotherapies. According to a formula incorporating measures of clinical symptoms and comprehensive scales of physical function (PF), role function (RF), emotional function (EF), cognitive function (CF), and social function. In addition, a summary score (SS) and a global health scale (GHS) on QOL were computed using comprehensive scales.

Results

All the parameters assessed in CGs yielded higher values than those for patients; however, EF and CF did not show significant differences between patients and CGs. Among longitudinal observed pairs, discrepancies in GHS and SS between patients and CGs were identified in 38 % and 34%, respectively. Those CGs who did not demonstrate an improvement in GHS compared with those who showed an improvement in this parameter had lower PF and RF values at the beginning of the treatment.

Conclusions

Even at the beginning of the treatment, the CGs of patients with cancer undergoing palliative chemotherapy showed impairment in daily QOL. In addition, emotional and cognitive functions were impaired as much as patients. CGs with physical difficulty and role function impairment in family should be monitored for worsening of their QOL during the course of treatment.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

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Legal entity responsible for the study

The authors.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.