Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33355968›Full record

ArticleThe oncologist2021

Heterogeneity in Quality of Life of Long-Term Colon Cancer Survivors: A Latent Class Analysis of the Population-Based PROFILES Registry.

Felix J Clouth, Arturo Moncada-Torres, Gijs Geleijnse, Floortje Mols, Felice N van Erning, Ignace H J T de Hingh, Steffen C Pauws, Lonneke V van de Poll-Franse, Jeroen K Vermunt

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The oncologist, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Non-gastrointestinal symptom burden following colorectal cancer treatment-a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
    Pooled it
  3. Profiles of quality of life among US young adult cancer survivors and their associations with potential psychosocial intervention targets of hope and psychological flexibility.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2025
    Trial
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  5. Differential patterns of health-related quality of life among low- and high-income cancer survivors in South Korea: a latent class analysis.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Felix J ClouthDepartment of Methodology and Statistics, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-8359-9228
Arturo Moncada-TorresNetherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL), Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-7233-2117
Gijs GeleijnseNetherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL), Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-0947-8970
Floortje MolsDepartment of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-0818-2913
Felice N van ErningNetherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL), Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Ignace H J T de HinghDepartment of Surgery, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-3491-4268
Steffen C PauwsDepartment of Communication and Cognition, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
Lonneke V van de Poll-FranseDepartment of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-0413-6872
Jeroen K VermuntDepartment of Methodology and Statistics, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-9053-9330

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLong-term colon cancer survivors present heterogeneous health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes. We determined unobserved subgroups (classes) of survivors with similar HRQOL patterns and investigated their stability over time and the association of clinical covariates with these classes. MATERIALS AND

methodsData from the population-based PROFILES registry were used. Included were survivors with nonmetastatic (TNM stage I-III) colon cancer (n = 1,489). HRQOL was assessed with the Dutch translation of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 version 3.0. Based on survivors' HRQOL, latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify unobserved classes of survivors. Moreover, latent transition analysis (LTA) was used to investigate changes in class membership over time. Furthermore, the effect of covariates on class membership was assessed using multinomial logistic regression.

resultsLCA identified five classes at baseline: class 1, excellent HRQOL (n = 555, 37.3%); class 2, good HRQOL with prevalence of insomnia (n = 464, 31.2%); class 3, moderate HRQOL with prevalence of fatigue (n = 213, 14.3%); class 4, good HRQOL with physical limitations (n = 134, 9.0%); and class 5, poor HRQOL (n = 123, 8.3%). All classes were stable with high self-transition probabilities. Longer time since the diagnosis, no comorbid conditions, and male sex were associated with class 1, whereas older age was associated with class 4. Clinical covariates were not associated with class membership.

conclusionThe identified classes are characterized by distinct patterns of HRQOL and can support patient-centered care. LCA and LTA are powerful tools for investigating HRQOL in cancer survivors. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Long-term colon cancer survivors show great heterogeneity in their health-related quality of life. This study identified five distinct clusters of survivors with similar patterns of health-related quality of life and showed that these clusters remain stable over time. It was also shown that these clusters do not significantly differ in tumor characteristics or received treatment. Cluster membership of long-term survivors can be identified by sociodemographic characteristics but is not predetermined by diagnosis and treatment.

Indexed as

Cancer SurvivorsNeoplasmsAgedColonHumansLatent Class AnalysisMaleQuality of LifeRegistriesSurveys and QuestionnairesClusteringLatent class analysisLong-term survivorsNetherlands Cancer RegistryPatient-reported outcomes measuresPROFILES registry

Identifiers

PMID33355968
PMCPMC7930435

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.