What Impact Does Venous Thromboembolism and Bleeding Have on Cancer Patients' Quality of Life?

Value Health. 2018 Apr;21(4):449-455. doi: 10.1016/j.jval.2017.09.015. Epub 2017 Nov 10.

Abstract

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is common in cancer patients and its treatment is associated with a high risk of recurrent VTE (rVTE) and bleeding.

Objectives: To analyze data from the Comparison of Acute Treatments in Cancer Hemostasis (CATCH) trial to describe the impact of rVTE and bleeding events on health-related quality of life.

Methods: The three-level EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D) data were collected monthly for up to 7 months in patients starting anticoagulation for newly diagnosed VTE. Analyses were designed to describe the impact of rVTE and bleeding on EQ-5D scores while controlling for effects of covariates such as background and clinical variables and longitudinal changes. A repeated-measures model with specification of the variance-covariance matrix to characterize the intrapatient correlation was used to estimate the utility values. The impact of an rVTE or a bleeding event was assumed to be reflected in the utility value when it occurred within 2 weeks from a planned data collection point.

Results: Data were available from 883 patients. A total of 76 rVTE and 159 bleeding events occurred during follow-up. rVTE had a significant impact on EQ-5D scores, with a decrement of -0.075 on the basis of our reference case (male, no metastasis, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score = 1, Western European), but different patients might have different decrements. Bleeding events had a smaller (nonstatistically significant) impact on EQ-5D scores.

Conclusions: This data set study has quantified the decline in EQ-5D scores associated with experiencing rVTE or bleeding events in cancer patients. These results indicate the net gain in quality of life and impact on cost-effectiveness of secondary VTE prevention.

Keywords: EQ-5D; cancer; cancer-associated thrombosis; low-molecular-weight heparin; quality of life; venous thromboembolism.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Anticoagulants / administration & dosage
  • Anticoagulants / adverse effects*
  • Cost of Illness
  • Female
  • Hemorrhage / chemically induced*
  • Hemorrhage / psychology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasms / complications*
  • Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Quality of Life*
  • Recurrence
  • Risk Factors
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Venous Thromboembolism / diagnosis
  • Venous Thromboembolism / drug therapy*
  • Venous Thromboembolism / etiology
  • Venous Thromboembolism / psychology

Substances

  • Anticoagulants