Global quality of life in breast cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer among women worldwide. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to cover the existing research gap and contribute to existing knowledge to provide both researchers and clinicians with a better profile on the topic and consequently help improve the quality of life (QoL) of patients with BC.

METHODS

A comprehensive review of original articles published in English from January 2000 to October 2021 from databases including Embase, Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science was conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement.

RESULTS

Based on the meta-regression which examined a total of 9012 patients with BC, the QoL score calculated by EORTC QLQ-C30 was 64.72 (95% CI 59.24 to 70.20), while the score obtained from FACT-B was 84.39 (95% CI 64.24 to 104.54) and the scores from QLQ-BR23 and SF-36 were 66.33 (95% CI 62.76 to 69.90) and 57.23 (95% CI 47.65 to 66.82), respectively. A meta-analysis affirmed a significant direct relationship between the QoL score of patients with BC and their age (p=0.03). The results also revealed that the QoL scores of patients who had completed treatment were higher than those who were currently under treatment.

CONCLUSION

The present systematic review identified several factors that affect the QoL of women with BC worldwide and provided several implications for developing policy interventions to effectively improve the QoL of women with BC. In this way, clinicians can sufficiently give advice to their patients with the purpose of improving their QoL. PROSPERO registration number CRD42022309791.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the quality-of-life of patients with Parkinson's disease

Background

Parkinson's disease can adversely affect the quality-of-life.

Aims

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of global literature on the quality-of-life of patients with Parkinson's disease and examined the association between patient characteristics and quality-of-life.

Methods

We searched Embase, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science from January 2000 to January 2020. We included articles published in English that used the Parkinson's disease questionnaire to estimate the quality-of-life score and to identify the determinants of quality-of-life in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Results

In total, 41 studies with data from 4060 patients who had Parkinson's disease met our inclusion criteria. The overall quality-of-life score was 32.37 (95% confidence intervals (CI): 28.72-36.01). Age and duration of disease were inversely related to quality-of-life (P < 0.001). South America had the highest score on the questionnaire (39.73, 95% CI: 28.66-50.79, P < 0.001), indicating the lowest quality-of-life of patients with Parkinson's disease. Of the 6 World Health Organization regions, the Eastern Mediterranean Region had the highest score (36.28, 95% CI: 23.44-49.13, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Although the global score in patients with Parkinson's disease indicated an acceptable quality-of-life, there is a possibility for improvements. The findings of this study can inform evidence-based strategies by health policymakers and clinicians to enhance the quality-of-life of patients with Parkinson's disease.

Global, regional and national quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis: a global systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and aim

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) globally to provide precise information for policy makers to take necessary steps to improve the quality of life of these patients. This systematic review and meta-analysis is the first global study in the last decade.

Materials and methods

Data from January 2000 to April 2020 were collected from Scopus, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data obtained were analysed by R software, and 54 articles were finally included in the study.

Results

From the 2126 articles collected, a total of 54 articles were included in the study. Based on the results of random-effects analysis (DerSimonian and Laird), the mental HRQOL score was 55.18 (95% CI 52.71 to 57.65) and the physical HRQOL score was 48.72 (95% CI 45.93 to 51.52). In this study, age and duration of disease had a significant and direct relationship with mental HRQOL (p≤0.01). Moreover, mental HRQOL was higher in Europe than in other continents, while physical HRQOL was higher in Asia than in other continents. HRQOL was also evaluated on the basis of three valid questionnaires: Short Form 36, Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 and Multiple Sclerosis International Quality of Life.

Conclusion

According to the results of this study, the total score for HRQOL indicates moderate quality of life. Factors such as depression, age and duration of disease have the greatest impact on HRQOL, whereas factors such as fatigue and the Expanded Disability Status Scale score have less effects on HRQOL, so that patients with MS continue their daily activities as long as they are physically able to, and this happens despite disease progression.