Supportive Care Needs and the Impact of Loss of Functioning and Symptom Burden on the Quality of Life in Patients with Advanced Colorectal Cancer

Background/aims: Relationships between loss of functioning, symptom burden, supportive care needs, and quality of life (QoL) have been suggested in cancer populations. This cross-sectional study further investigates these relationships through mediation analyses.

Methods: A total of 276 advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) patients completed validated instruments to assess cancer-related functioning, symptoms, supportive care needs, and QoL. Pearson's correlations and multiple mediation models with bootstrapping method were performed.

Results: QoL had negative correlations with supportive care needs, positive correlations with functioning measures, and negative correlations with symptom scales. Supportive care needs had negative correlations with functioning measures and positive correlations with symptom scales. Mediation analyses showed significant indirect effects of CRC-related functioning and symptoms on QoL through supportive care needs.

Conclusions: Significant links between CRC-related loss of functioning, symptom burden, QoL, and supportive care needs have been established. Longitudinal studies are planned to clarify cause-and-effects relationships and establish sequences of events.