Mesothelioma patients and their doctors often focus treatments on improving the patient's quality of life. Treatments aimed to relieve pain and pressure, and to restore lost breathing functions, can afford patients the ability to be mobile and enjoy some routine day-to-day activities. Now, researchers at the Mayo Clinic are looking at a patient's quality of life at diagnosis to gauge their survival.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer, often affecting the lungs, caused by asbestos exposure. While the average survival time of mesothelioma patients typically varies from 4 – 18 months after diagnosis, many factors determine life expectancy. Factors include type and stage of mesothelioma, treatment plan, whether the patient has ever smoked, the lifestyle, diet and fitness level of the patient, as well as age, sex and family traits.
In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Mayo researchers found that patients who deemed their quality of life highest among other lung cancer patients lived longer – significantly longer. Patients who reported a poor quality of life had a median survival of 1.6 years, compared with 5.6 year for patients with a high quality of life.
Among the nearly 2,500 patients observed over a ten year period from 1997 – 2007, the researchers found that even after accounting for standard prognostic factors, such as those listed above, self-reported high quality of life was enough to extend survival. In fact, the researchers concluded an indication of the quality of life "at the time of lung cancer diagnosis is a significant and independent prognostic factor for survival in patients with lung cancer."
In an interview with Reuter's Health, Jeff A. Sloan, a professor of oncology and biostatistics at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and study lead, said it is not clear that improving a patient's quality of life will improve his survival. But, an improved quality of life is still a goal when treating cancer patients. He added that doctor's should consider asking patients how they are doing to start a conversation on their needs.
With so much focus on personalized medicine, Sloan noted that some researchers are beginning to look at genetic makeup for quality of life issues. Although he is quick to point out "we don't expect to find a 'quality-of-life gene.'"
