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Ask Light Chain Amyloidosis Patients These Questions
Am J Hematol; ePub 2017 Mar 20; Warsame, et al
It is worth taking the time to ask patients with light chain amyloidosis to rate their levels of fatigue and quality of life (QOL), according to a study involving 302 individuals.
Participants were diagnosed with light chain amyloidosis between 2009 and 2014. Investigators used the Hematology Patient Reported Symptom Screen (HPRSS) to assess fatigue, pain, and QOL at baseline, and determine if these factors can predict outcomes. Among the results:
- Patients who lived longer than a year had a fatigue score of 5/10 at baseline, vs 7/10 in those who died earlier.
- QOL scores in these patients were 6/10 and 5/10, respectively.
- Univariate analysis revealed that fatigue, QOL, physician-reported performance status, autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT), and Mayo stage predicted survival.
- Mayo stage, ASCT, and baseline fatigue remained predictive on multivariate analysis.
- In 125 patients with HPRSS measurements at 1 year, QOL scores improved substantially over time.
Citation:
Warsame R, Kumar S, Gertz M, et al. Hematology patient reported symptom screen to assess quality of life for AL amyloidosis. [Published online ahead of print March 20, 2017]. Am J Hematol. doi:10.1002/ajh.24676.