Comorbid conditions and health-related quality of life in long-term cancer survivors—associations with demographic and medical characteristics

Abstract

Purpose

Our study provides a detailed overview of comorbid conditions and health-related quality of life of long-term cancer survivors and analyses the impact of demographic, disease- and treatment-related characteristics.

Methods

We present data obtained from 1000 survivors across mixed tumour entities 5 and 10 years after cancer diagnosis in a cross-sectional study. We analyse the prevalence of physical symptoms and health conditions via self-report and health-related quality of life using the EORTC QLQ-C30 in comparison to gender- and age-matched reference values of the general population.

Results

Cancer survivors reported on average 5 comorbidities; 23% had 7 or more comorbid conditions. Cancer survivors reported higher physical symptom burden than the population—especially fatigue, insomnia and pain. Type and prevalence of long-term and late effects differ with disease-related factors (e.g. cancer type, treatment) and characteristics of the patient. Cancer survivors also reported lower quality of life than the population, especially in everyday activities, social life, psychological well-being and financial difficulties. There was a positive association between high quality of life and a low level of morbidity.

Conclusions

The specific knowledge about physical long-term consequences for the individual types of cancer could raise awareness in health care professionals for high-risk patients and help to develop adequate prevention and survivorship-programs.

Implications for Cancer survivors

Limitations in the mental health area underlines the importance of psycho-oncological survivorship-care-plans, which go beyond the time of rehabilitation. Special attention should be given to the financial situation of patients in long-term follow-up care.

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