Quality-of-life measurement long-term after resection of colorectal liver metastases - is there an optimal assessment tool?

BACKGROUND: There is limited literature on health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) in patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). Furthermore, there is no consensus on which HRQoL tool is most appropriate. This study assessed the long-term HRQoL in patients who undergo liver resection for CRLM and assessed which HRQoL tool is most useful.

METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of patients who had curative resection for CRLM between 2010 and June 2021. Three validated instruments were used: The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), which consists of the QLQ-C30 (a generic questionnaire) and QLQ-LMC21 (CRLM specific); the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) and the 36-Item Short Form Survey.

RESULTS: 121 patients underwent liver resection for CRLM, of which 85 were alive. There was a 61 % response rate (n = 52). The median post-operative time when the survey was completed was 4.0 years. Across all three questionnaires, patients performed exceptionally well in all domains, with median functional scores >90. The EQ-5D-5L VAS and the EROTC QLQ-C30 produced similar results.

CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates excellent long-term HRQoL in patients who undergo resection for CRLM. The EQ-5D questionnaire is the preferred questionnaire because it is shorter and simpler to complete than the other tools without compromising accuracy.