Health-related quality of life and its influencing factors among lung cancer patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors: A cross-sectional study

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the level of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of lung cancer patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and analyze its influencing factors.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted. From April 2022 to March 2023, 560 lung cancer patients receiving ICIs at three medical bases in Guangzhou, China were recruited using a convenient sampling method. A general information questionnaire, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) and the Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ) were used for collecting data on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, HRQOL, social support and medical coping mode. A descriptive analysis was conducted to describe HRQOL. Multiple regression analysis was applied to determine the factors influencing HRQOL.

Results: For lung cancer patients receiving ICIs, the mean score of HRQOL was 59.21 ± 19.86. Multivariate analysis indicated that acceptance-resignation coping mode (β = -0.37, P < 0.01), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score (β = -0.35, P < 0.01), combination of chemotherapy and/or bevacizumab (β = -0.14, P < 0.01), and subjective support (β = 0.07, P = 0.04) all contributed to 42.7% of the variance in HRQOL of the patients receiving ICIs.

Conclusions: It is imperative to address and resolve the HRQOL issue for lung cancer patients receiving ICIs. The findings suggest nurse practitioners should be aware of a variety of factors that influence HRQOL and provide tailored inventions to patients as early as possible to help them achieve better HRQOL.