Health-related quality of life in patients with liver cancer

Liver cancer is one of most common cancers in the world and is associated with considerable impact on not only physical but also psychosocial functioning. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is increasingly seen to be an important endpoint in health care. The aims of this chapter are to consider issues in the definition and measurement of HRQOL, as applied specifically to patients with liver cancer. HRQOL in patients with liver cancer can be considered both from a generic viewpoint in comparison with the general population, and in terms of disease-specific issues. In this regard, pain, fatigue, nausea, jaundice, weight loss, and body image need to be considered. Current research suggests that patients with liver cancer have substantially compromised HRQOL compared with the healthy population, both in physical and psychological dimensions. Suggestions are made for improving assessment of HRQOL in this population, and the timing and evaluation of programs to improve HRQOL over the course of treatment.