Feasibility of quality of life assessment in patients with upper gastrointestinal tract cancer

Quality of life (QOL) is an important outcome after treatment for upper gastrointestinal tract cancer but few studies report good accrual and subsequent attrition is usually high. This study investigated the feasibility of a nurse-led service to obtain longitudinal QOL assessments and explored how clinical and sociodemographic factors influence patients' need for help to complete questionnaires. Fully informed patients were invited into the study. Baseline hospital assessments were scheduled by telephone and thereafter by post unless patients' health indicated the need for a home visit. In all, 128 out of 140 (91%) baseline QOL assessments were performed. Follow-up questionnaire completion was good, with 114 patients (89%) completing all but one of the expected assessments. At baseline, 41 (32%) patients required a lot of help to complete questionnaires. Patients requiring help were more likely to be undergoing palliative treatment than treatment aimed at cure (68 vs 33%; odds ratio 3.48, P<0.01). Patients' with advanced stage cancer of the upper gastrointestinal tract receiving palliative treatment require dedicated staff to ensure good compliance with longitudinal QOL data collection. It is essential to budget for this in clinical trails.