Health-related quality of life and patient-reported symptoms after postoperative proton beam radiotherapy of cervical and endometrial cancer: 2-year results of the prospective phase II APROVE-trial

Table 3 Results of mean quality of life scores (EORTC QLQ-C30) at baseline and after 2 years and mean values of German norm population [28]

Score	Norm population	Baseline			2 years after RT
Score	Mean (± SD)	N	Mean (± SD)	p value	N	Mean (± SD)	p value
EORTC QLQ-C30
Global health status/QoL	67.0 (± 21.8)	24	58.0 (± 20.1)	0.042^a	18	69.9 (± 19.3)	0.353
Functional scales (higher scores indicate a better QoL)
Physical functioning	82.8 (± 21.2)	25	73.9 (± 24.1)	0.041^a	17	71.8 (± 26.3)	0.035^a
Role functioning	80.8 (± 27.2)	25	55.3 (± 34.2)	< 0.001^b	17	64.7 (± 29.6)	0.035^b
Emotional functioning	73.9 (± 24.7)	25	60.7 (± 30.5)	0.044	17	63.7 (± 27.9)	0.082
Cognitive functioning	83.9 (± 22.7)	25	80.0 (± 24.0)	0.434	17	71.6 (± 31.2)	0.137
Social functioning	84.8 (± 25.5)	25	62.0 (± 33.5)	0.003^c	17	68.6 (± 29.1)	0.026^c
Symptom scales (higher scores indicate more problems)
Fatigue	31.5 (± 27.2)	25	48.4 (± 26.6)	0.003^b	17	35.9 (± 26.0)	0.364
Nausea and vomiting	6.0 (± 17.2)	25	8.0 (± 18.9)	0.406	17	5.9 (± 11.3)	0.786
Pain	27.6 (± 30.9)	25	34.0 (± 31.1)	0.286	17	30.4 (± 29.3)	0.955
Dyspnoea	18.7 (± 27.3)	23	23.2 (± 28.5)	0.292	17	25.5 (± 29.2)	0.372
Insomnia	27.6 (± 33.1)	25	53.3 (± 35.3)	< 0.007^c	17	52.9 (± 39.7)	0.011^c
Appetite loss	10.1 (± 23.3)	25	22.7 (± 30.9)	0.029^a	16	12.5 (± 20.0)	0.736
Constipation	9.6 (± 22.3)	25	37.3 (± 36.9)	< 0.001^c	17	29.4 (± 32.1)	0.047^c
Diarrhoe	10.4 (± 22.7)	25	13.3 (± 23.1)	0.270	17	13.7 (± 20.0)	0.258
Financial difficulties	11.3 (± 25.0)	25	14.7 (± 25.1)	0.259	17	21.6 (± 30.1)	0.096

p values represent the results for an age-matched analysis of our cohort to this norm reference population at baseline and after 2 years
A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant
N number of available data, RT radiotherapy, SD standard deviation
^aClinically relevant small difference
^bClinically relevant medium difference
^cClinically relevant large difference

ISSN: 1748-717X