Trial reportPloS one2016
Undergoing Diagnostic Evaluation for Possible Cancer Affects the Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients Presenting with Non-Specific Symptoms.
Trial report in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The pathway and characteristics of patients with non-specific symptoms of cancer: a systematic review.BMC cancer · 2022Pooled it
- Exploring functioning and health-related quality of life in patients referred to a diagnostic cancer pathway for non-specific serious symptoms.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Article
- Risk of cancer and serious disease in Danish patients with urgent referral for serious non-specific symptoms and signs of cancer in Funen 2014-2021.British journal of cancer · 2024Article
- Trends in Hospitalization of Patients with Potentially Serious Diseases Evaluated at a Quick Diagnosis Clinic.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020Article
- Rapid cancer diagnosis for patients with vague symptoms: a cost-effectiveness study.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2020Article
- Diagnosing cancer in patients with 'non-alarm' symptoms: Learning from diagnostic care innovations in Denmark.Cancer epidemiology · 2018Article
- Article
- Health-related quality of life in patients with serious non-specific symptoms undergoing evaluation for possible cancer and their experience during the process: a mixed methods study.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2017Article
- Health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression in the diagnostic phase of suspected cancer, and the influence of diagnosis.Health and quality of life outcomes · 2016Article
- Quality of Life and Its Association with Physical Activity among Different Types of Cancer Survivors.PloS one · 2016Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimUndergoing diagnostic evaluation for possible cancer can affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The aims of this study were to examine the HRQoL in patients undergoing a diagnostic evaluation for possible cancer due to non-specific symptoms and further to investigate the impact of socio-demographic and medical factors associated with HRQoL at the time of diagnosis.
methodsThis was a prospective, multicenter survey study that included patients who were referred for a diagnostic evaluation due to non-specific cancer symptoms. Participants completed the EORTC-QLQ-C30 quality of life scale before and after completing the diagnostic evaluation. The baseline and follow-up EORTC-QLQ-C30 scores were compared with reference populations. The impact of socio-demographic and medical factors on HRQoL at follow-up was explored by bootstrapped multivariate linear regression.
resultsA total of 838 patients participated in the study; 680 (81%) also completed follow-up. Twenty-two percent of the patients received a cancer diagnosis at the end of follow-up. Patients presented initially with a high burden of symptoms, less role and emotional functioning and a lower global health/QoL. Most domains improved after diagnosis and no clinically important difference between baseline and follow-up scores was found. Patients reported effects on HRQoL both at baseline and at follow-up compared with the Danish reference population and had similar scores as a cancer reference population. Co-morbidity, being unemployed and receiving a cancer diagnosis had the greatest effect on HRQoL around the time of diagnosis.
conclusionsPatients with non-specific symptoms reported an affected HRQoL while undergoing a diagnostic evaluation for possible cancer. Morbidity, being unemployed and receiving a cancer diagnosis had the greatest effect on HRQoL around the time of diagnosis.
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