Health‐related quality of life in AYA cancer survivors who underwent HSCT compared with healthy peers. (31st July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tremolada, Marta; Bonichini, Sabrina; Taverna, Livia; Basso, Giuseppe; Pillon, Marta
• Is Part Of: European journal of cancer care. Volume 27:Number 6(2018)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2018-07-31
• Subjects: adolescent and young adult childhood cancer survivors -- health‐related quality of life -- healthy peers -- hematopoietic stem cell transplantation -- posttraumatic stress symptoms; Cancer -- Nursing -- Periodicals; 616.994
• DOI: 10.1111/ecc.12878
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0961-5423

Abstract

Abstract: This study was aimed at comparing adolescent and young adult (AYA) Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) paediatric cancer survivors and a control group of healthy peers in terms of Health‐Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) and frequency of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). The participants were 32 AYA HSCT survivors and 28 matched healthy peers. The survivors were, on average, 19.4 years old ( SD = 3.8), with an average age of 8.1 years ( SD = 4.3) at diagnosis, and with a mean time, since treatment was completed, of 8.5 years ( SD = 3.2). The majority of survivors (78.1%) did not show clinical PTSS, with intrusion symptoms most frequently reported in those who had undergone autologous HSCT ( F = 3.3; df = 2; p = 0.05) and relapse presence in their treatment associated with more PTSS avoidance symptoms ( r = 0.4; p = 0.002). Women reported more problems in the SF‐36 pain scale ( t = 2.1; df = 31; p = 0.04) than men. Additionally, 87.5% of survivors fell below the 25th percentile in the SF‐36 general well‐being scale, and 70.8% had the same trend for the SF‐36 fatigue scale. Survivors reported better emotional well‐being ( t = 2.6, df = 27, p = 0.01) and fewer limitations than their healthy peers ( t = 2.5, df = 27, p = 0.02), while they perceived a lower life satisfaction referring to the past ( t = −2.8, df = 27, p = 0.009).