EVALUATION OF QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE MYELOMA

Abstract

Objectives. To develop a narrative synthesis of the most frequently used questionnaires for assessing health-related quality of life in patients with multiple myeloma.

Methods. Scientific publications from the databases PubMed, Hinari, SpringerLink, the National Center of Biotechnology Information, and Medline were reviewed regarding the most commonly used instruments for evaluating health-related quality of life in patients with multiple myeloma, using the following keywords: “multiple myeloma,” “health-related quality of life,” “quality of life assessment questionnaire,” “patient-reported outcomes.” A total of 28 relevant bibliographic sources were selected, representative of the published materials related to the topic of this review article.

Results. The implementation of objective, standardized, and uniform assessment instruments to accurately quantify symptoms in patients with multiple myeloma is essential for effective symptom management and precise intervention planning. The EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire is the universal patient-reported outcome assessment tool and the most frequently applied instrument for evaluating quality of life in individuals with multiple myeloma. Among multiple myeloma–specific instruments, the EORTC QLQ-MY20, FACT-MM, and MDASI-MM questionnaires are the most widely used.

Conclusions. The evaluation of quality of life in patients with multiple myeloma has become increasingly important in economically developed countries. These measurements are becoming a primary objective, a current and integral component of clinical trials with new drugs, and an important factor in health policy decision-making. There remains a need for the refinement of existing questionnaires and the development of new high-quality scales for multiple myeloma, based on the strengths and limitations of current instruments.