A population‐based study comparing HRQoL among breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer survivors to propensity score matched controls, by cancer type, and gender

Abstract

Background Objectives were to compare health-related quality of life (HRQoL) between breast cancer survivors, prostate cancer survivors (PCS), and colorectal cancer survivors (CCS) to matched controls, stratified by short and long-term survivors, by cancer type, and gender. Methods By using the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, propensity scores matched three controls to adult survivors >1 year past diagnosis (N = 11,964) on age, gender, race/ethnicity, income, insurance status, and region of the USA Chi-square tests and logistic regression models compared HRQoL outcomes (life satisfaction, activity limitations, sleep quality, emotional support, general, physical, and mental health). Results Although all cancer survivors reported worse general health (p < 0.000) and more activity limitations (p < 0.004) than controls, these disparities decreased among long-term survivors. Short-term PCS and male CCS were more likely to report worse outcomes across additional domains of HRQoL than controls, but PCS were 0.61, 0.63, and 0.70 times less likely to report activity limitations, fair/poor general health, and 1–15 bad physical health days in the past month than male CCS. Breast cancer survivors and female CCS were 2.12 and 3.17, 1.58 and 1.86, and 1.49 and 153, respectively, times more likely to report rarely/never receiving needed emotional support, 1–15 bad mental health days in the past month, and not receiving enough sleep 1–15 days in the past month than PCS and male CCS. Conclusions Cancer survivors experience worse HRQoL than similar individuals without a history of cancer and the severity of affected HRQoL domains differ by time since diagnosis, cancer type, and gender.

Assessment of Distress Among Chemotherapy Patients: A Comparative Study of Gender

“…insomnia) reported by the male group in the three evaluations suggest a coping strategy characterized by introspection and an attempt to mobilize internal resources to solve problems on their own. This response happens especially at the beginning of the treatment when the patient's body is not yet worn out by the chemotherapy's side effects, responding only to the physical symptoms of the disease and to the emotional impact of the diagnosis (Kiss & Meryn, 2001;Krouse et al, 2009;LeMasters, Madhavan, Sambamoorthi, & Kurian, 2013;Nicholas, 2000;Salander & Hamberg, 2005).…”

Trajectories and predictors of state and trait anxiety in patients receiving chemotherapy for breast and colorectal cancer: Results from a longitudinal study

“…Similarly, researching different tumour groups is advisable as patients' experiences differ for different types of cancer (LeMasters et al, 2013), but results concerning patients with breast and colorectal cancer are particularly important considering their high incidence rates (Westlake and Cooper, 2008). Finally, interventions based on aforementioned suggestions should be verified in the future to optimise patient care.…”

“…On the one hand, this is reasonable as women typically report more anxiety problems (McLean & Anderson, 2009), but additionally accounting for male patients in this study allows testing of such gender effects. Beyond this, cancer experiences differ for different types of cancer and therefore it is advisable to research different patient groups (LeMasters, Madhavan, Sambamoorthi, & Kurian, 2013). Finally, considering in particular patients undergoing chemotherapy for an exploration of trait and state anxiety suggested itself as this treatment causes higher anxiety levels than other treatment types (Lim et al, 2011), possibly due to its often distressing and potentially life threatening side effects (Du, Osborne, & Goodwin, 2008).…”

Sex Differences in Health and Survival

“…This study also found that the evolution of HRQOL scores from the third to the sixth month after experiencing the attack followed a sex-specific pattern: men showed greater improvements in most dimensions of physical and social functioning, while women improved in social functioning and in only few physical dimensions (Dueñas et al 2011). Moreover, female cancer patients (colorectal and breast cancer) have been found to have lower HRQOL levels than their male counterparts (colorectal and prostate cancer) (LeMasters et al 2013). …”