Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36781515›Full record

Observational studySupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2023

Perception of prognosis and health-related quality of life in patients with advanced cancer: results of a multicentre observational study (eQuiPe).

Myrte Zijlstra, J van Roij, I Henselmans, H W M van Laarhoven, G J Creemers, G Vreugdenhil, E J M Kuip, L V van de Poll-Franse, N J H Raijmakers, eQuiPe study group

Abstract readObservational StudyMulticenter Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Perception of cure and quality of life in anal cancer survivors.Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden) · 2025
    Article
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

10 authors.

Myrte ZijlstraDepartment of Research and Development, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL), PO box 19079, 3501 DB, Utrecht, The Netherlands. m.zijlstra@iknl.nl.
J van RoijDepartment of Research and Development, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL), PO box 19079, 3501 DB, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
I HenselmansDepartment of Medical Psychology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
H W M van LaarhovenDepartment of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
G J CreemersDepartment of Medical Oncology, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
G VreugdenhilDepartment of Medical Oncology, Maxima Medical Centre, Veldhoven, The Netherlands.
E J M KuipDepartment of Medical Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
L V van de Poll-FranseDepartment of Research and Development, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL), PO box 19079, 3501 DB, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
N J H RaijmakersDepartment of Research and Development, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL), PO box 19079, 3501 DB, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
eQuiPe study group

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo assess perception of prognosis in patients with advanced cancer, its association with patient's characteristics and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

methodsIn a multicentre observational cohort study (eQuiPe), conducted on patients with advanced cancer, perceived prognosis, coping strategies, and HRQoL were assessed. Clinical data were obtained from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Patients with vs. without a perception of prognosis, patients who perceived their prognosis as limited (< 1 year) vs. longer (> 1 year), and patients who did not want to know their prognosis vs. those who did not know for other reasons were compared.

resultsOf 1000 patients with advanced cancer, 29% perceived their prognosis as > 1 year, 13% < 1 year, and 4% non-life threatening. Thirty-six percent did not know their prognosis and another 15% did not want to know. Patients without a perception were older, lower educated, coped differently (less accepting, planning, active; more denial), and received treatment more often (p < 0.05). Global QoL was lower in patients with vs. without a perceived prognosis (66 (SD21) vs. 69 (SD19), p = 0.01), specifically in patients who perceived a limited rather than a longer prognosis (57 (SD22) vs. 70 (SD19), p < 0.01). Global QoL of patients who did not want to know their prognosis was comparable to patients who did not know for other reasons (71 (SD19) vs. 69 (SD19), p = 0.22).

conclusionMore than half of the patients with advanced cancer have no perception of their prognosis. Patients with a perceived prognosis have lower HRQoL, but only in patients who perceived their prognosis as limited (< 1 year) and were probably closer to the end of life, which more likely determines their poorer HRQoL, rather than prognostic perception. Ignorance of prognosis is not associated with lower HRQoL, however, should not hamper appropriate palliative care.

Indexed as

NeoplasmsQuality of LifeAdaptation, PsychologicalHumansPalliative CarePrognosisAdvanced cancerPalliative carePerceived prognosisQuality of life

Identifiers

PMID36781515

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.