Responsiveness and minimal important score differences in quality-of-life questionnaires: a comparison of the EORTC QLQ-C30 cancer-specific questionnaire to the generic utility questionnaires EQ-5D and 15D in patients with multiple myeloma.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to (i) compare the responsiveness of the EORTC QLQ-C30 cancer-specific questionnaire and the generic questionnaires EQ-5D and 15D used for economic evaluation of healthcare interventions and (ii) determine the minimal important differences (MIDs) in these questionnaires. The MID is the smallest change in a quality-of-life score considered important to patients. METHODS: Between 2006 and 2008, 239 patients with multiple myeloma completed the questionnaires at inclusion (T1) and after 3 months (T2). At T2, patients were asked whether they had noticed any change in their quality of life. Responsiveness and MIDs were determined by mean score changes (T2-T1) for patients who, in the interview, stated they had improved, deteriorated, or were unchanged. Responsiveness was also assessed using standardized response means. Wilcoxon tests for pair differences were used to evaluate the statistical significance of the changes. RESULTS: Patients who improved had significantly (P < 0.01) higher scores at T2 in all three questionnaires. Patients who deteriorated reported lower scores at T2; however, for the 15D, the differences in score were not statistically significant. The MIDs for the QLQ-C30, EQ-5D, and 15D were 8, 0.08, and 0.03 in patients who improved and 12, 0.10 and 0.02 in patients who deteriorated, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: All three questionnaires showed an acceptable responsiveness in patients who improved. However, the 15D did not respond optimally in patients who deteriorate and cannot be recommended for use in patients with myeloma.

Effect of pamidronate 30 mg versus 90 mg on physical function in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (Nordic Myeloma Study Group): a double-blind, randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Compared with placebo, prophylactic treatment with bisphosphonates reduces risk of skeletal events in patients with multiple myeloma. However, because of toxicity associated with long-term bisphosphonate treatment, establishing the lowest effective dose is important. This study compared the effect of two doses of pamidronate on health-related quality of life and skeletal morbidity in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. METHODS: This double-blind, randomised, phase 3 trial was undertaken at 37 clinics in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Patients with multiple myeloma who were starting antimyeloma treatment were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive one of two doses of pamidronate (30 mg or 90 mg) given by intravenous infusion once a month for at least 3 years. Randomisation was done by use of a central, computerised minimisation system. Primary outcome was physical function after 12 months estimated by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 questionnaire (scale 0-100). All patients who returned questionnaires at 12 months and were still on study treatment were included in the analysis of the primary endpoint. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00376883. FINDINGS: From January, 2001, until August, 2005, 504 patients were randomly assigned to pamidronate 30 mg or 90 mg (252 in each group). 157 patients in the 90 mg group and 156 in the 30 mg group were included in the primary analysis. Mean physical function at 12 months was 66 points (95% CI 62·9-70·0) in the 90 mg group and 68 points (64·6-71·4) in the 30 mg group (95% CI of difference -6·6 to 3·3; p=0·52). Median time to first skeletal-related event in patients who had such an event was 9·2 months (8·1-10·7) in the 90 mg group and 10·2 months (7·3-14·0) in the 30 mg group (p=0·63). In a retrospective analysis, eight patients in the pamidronate 90 mg group developed osteonecrosis of the jaw compared with two patients in the 30 mg group. INTERPRETATION: Monthly infusion of pamidronate 30 mg should be the recommended dose for prevention of bone disease in patients with multiple myeloma. FUNDING: Nordic Cancer Union and Novartis Healthcare.

Minimal important differences and response shift in health-related quality of life; a longitudinal study in patients with multiple myeloma.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported that changes of 6-17 percent in the EORTC QLQ-C30 scores are regarded important by patients with multiple myeloma and thus may be considered as Minimal Important Differences (MIDs). However, patients' internal standard of measurement may have changed over time (response shift, RS). In the present work, we evaluated whether myeloma patients experience RS and if this could affect the MID-estimates. METHODS: Between 2006 and 2008, 239 patients with multiple myeloma completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 at baseline (T1) and after three months (T2). At T2, patients were asked if they had noticed any change in the domains pain, fatigue, physical function and global quality of life. They were also asked to give a retrospective judgment of their baseline values on all the four domains. RESULTS: We found clear evidence of RS in myeloma patients. However, there were differences in both magnitude and direction between patients who stated that they improved and those who deteriorated. Deteriorating patients retrospectively reported better health-related quality of life at T1 for the domains pain, fatigue and physical function. In these patients, MIDs adjusted for RS were observed to increase up to 12 percentage points. In contrast, for patients stating that they improved, we only found evidence of statistically significant RS in the domain global quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: MIDs estimated from pre-test/post-test data appeared to be robust against RS in patients reporting improvement over 3-months. This could indicate that RS has a minimal impact on the results in patients who respond to treatment, and that RS may not have an important impact on interpretation of changes reported in clinical trials where an improvement occurs.Although the effect sizes of the RSs were small, RS in deteriorating patients may have an important impact on the interpretation of changes reported in clinical trials.

Melphalan and prednisone plus thalidomide or placebo in elderly patients with multiple myeloma.

In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 363 patients with untreated multiple myeloma were randomized to receive either melphalan-prednisone and thalidomide (MPT) or melphalan-prednisone and placebo (MP). The dose of melphalan was 0.25 mg/kg and prednisone was 100 mg given daily for 4 days every 6 weeks until plateau phase. The dose of thalidomide/placebo was escalated to 400 mg daily until plateau phase and thereafter reduced to 200 mg daily until progression. A total of 357 patients were analyzed. Partial response was 34% and 33%, and very good partial response or better was 23% and 7% in the MPT and MP arms, respectively (P < .001). There was no significant difference in progression-free or overall survival, with median survival being 29 months in the MPT arm and 32 months in the MP arm. Most quality of life outcomes improved equally in both arms, apart from constipation, which was markedly increased in the MPT arm. Constipation, neuropathy, nonneuropathy neurologic toxicity, and skin reactions were significantly more frequent in the MPT arm. The number of thromboembolic events was equal in the 2 treatment arms. In conclusion, MPT had a significant antimyeloma effect, but this did not translate into improved survival. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00218855.

Reduced nutritional status among multiple myeloma patients during treatment with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell support.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Multiple myeloma (MM) ranks among the most frequent blood cancers in adults. Optimal treatment consists of high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is reduced before, during, and after therapy. Several HRQoL items are associated with nutritional health, e.g., nausea/vomiting, appetite loss and fatigue. It is unknown whether nutritional status in MM is affected by treatment. Hence we assessed nutritional status before, during and (1/2) year after treatment-start. METHODS: We applied anthropometry (height, weight, hand-grip strength, triceps skinfold) and plasma concentrations of biomarkers to assess nutritional status. HRQoL was determined with the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. RESULTS: The anthropometrical parameters all decreased (p<0.05) during treatment, but were restored at the end of the observation period. Albumin and the fat-soluble vitamins D and E followed a similar pattern, whereas transferrin and vitamin A were unchanged (p>0.05). Interestingly, markers of thyroid function declined and remained low (p<0.05) even 6 months after start of therapy. Nutrition-associated symptoms used as markers of HRQoL worsened during therapy, but returned to pre-therapy levels. CONCLUSION: Intensive therapy in MM is associated with a decline in both nutritional status and health-related quality of life.

What changes in health-related quality of life matter to multiple myeloma patients? A prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical significance of changes in quality-of-life scores in patients with multiple myeloma (MM), we have estimated the minimal important difference (MID) for the health-related quality-of-life instrument, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30. The MID is the smallest change in a quality-of-life score considered important to patients. METHODS: Between 2006 and 2008, 239 patients with MM completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 at inclusion (T1) and after 3 months (T2). At T2, a structured quality-of-life interview was also performed. MIDs were calculated by using mean score changes (T2-T1) for patients who in the interview stated they had improved, deteriorated or were unchanged. MIDs were also estimated by the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve method as well as by calculation effect sizes using standard deviations of baseline scores. RESULTS: MIDs varied slightly depending on the method used. Patients stating in the interview that they had 'improved' or 'deteriorated' had a corresponding change in EORTC QLQ-C30 score ranging from 6 to15 (improvement) and from 9 to17 (deterioration) (scale range 0-100). The ROC analysis indicated that changes in score from 7 to17 represent clinically important changes to patients. The effect size method suggested 5-6 to be a small and 11-15 to be a medium change. CONCLUSION: Calculation of MIDs as mean score changes or by ROC analysis suggested that a change in the EORTC QLQ-C30 score in the range of approximately 6-17 is considered important by patients with MM. These MIDs are closer to a medium effect size than to a small effect size. Our findings imply that mean score changes smaller than 6 are unlikely to be important to the patients, even if these changes are statistically significant.

Health-related quality of life assessment in randomised controlled trials in multiple myeloma: a critical review of methodology and impact on treatment recommendations.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) often have pronounced symptoms and substantially reduced quality of life. The aims of treatment are to control disease, maximise quality of life and prolong survival. Hence, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) should be an important end-point in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in addition to traditional endpoints. We wanted to evaluate whether trials reporting HRQOL outcomes have influenced clinical decision making and whether HRQOL was assessed robustly according to predefined criteria. METHODS: A systematic review identified RCTs in MM with HRQOL assessment as a study end-point. The methodological quality of these studies was assessed according to a checklist developed for evaluating HRQOL outcomes in clinical trials. The impact of the HRQOL results on clinical decision making was assessed, using published clinical guidelines as a reference. RESULTS: Fifteen publications presenting RCTs with HRQOL as a study end-point were identified. In 13 trials, the author stated that HRQOL results should influence clinical decision making. We found, however, that the HRQOL data only had a limited impact on published treatment guidelines for bisphosphonates, high-dose treatment, interferon, erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and novel agents. CONCLUSION: The present review indicates that the there are still few RCTs in MM including HRQOL as a study end-point. Systematic incorporation of HRQOL measures into clinical trials allows for a comparison of treatment arms that includes the patients' perspective. Before the full impact on clinical decisions can be realised, the quality and methodology of collecting HRQOL data must be further improved and the results rendered more comprehensible to clinicians.

[Is registration of multiple myeloma in the Norwegian Cancer Registry good enough?]. / Er registreringen av myelomatose i Kreftregisteret god nok?

BACKGROUND: The last 15 years several studies have evaluated the quality of the Norwegian Cancer Registry. A pilot study from 1981 showed that the registration quality of non-solid tumours was significantly weaker than that for solid tumours. We wanted to study the registration quality of multiple myeloma in the Norwegian Cancer Registry during the 1990s. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the 1990s, the majority of younger Norwegian patients with multiple myeloma diagnosed in certain time periods were included in clinical studies. 348 patients were included, whereas 440 patients were registered in the Norwegian Cancer Registry during the same time period. We compared the patients included in studies with those in the Registry. When a discrepancy was found the diagnostic data and the registration process were looked into. RESULTS: Registration of multiple myeloma in the Norwegian Cancer Registry in the 1990s had a completeness of 92.7 % and an accuracy of 92.5 %. INTERPRETATION: The quality of multiple myeloma registration in the Norwegian Cancer Registry has improved from the 1970s (the data had a completeness of 77-82%) to the 1990s, but is still not as good as the registration of solid tumours. Increased awareness of this problem at pathological and haematological departments can probably improve the quality of registration further.

Impaired nutritional status during intensive chemotherapy in Russian and Norwegian cohorts with acute myeloid leukemia.

Intensive chemotherapy is mandatory in curative treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but whether the nutritional status deteriorates during treatment, is unknown. We therefore prospectively examined anthropometric and biochemical nutritional markers during intensive chemotherapy in 26 Russian and 19 Norwegian AML patients during 9 months from diagnosis. Although the body mass index remained unchanged in both cohorts, hand grip strength and triceps skinfold thickness declined (P<0.05) during treatment before normalisation at study end. We detected a similar significant, temporary decrease in albumin, transferrin, testosterone and gonadotrophins in both cohorts. Although the fat-soluble vitamins D and E also displayed such a pattern, vitamin A dropped and remained low throughout the study in both cohorts. The Russian patients reported lower global quality of life, more symptoms and more financial concern than the Norwegians. Our data suggest a catabolic metabolism during intensive chemotherapy for AML, leading to impaired nutritional status, hypofunction of the pituitary-gonadal axis and decreased health-related quality of life.

Clinical significance of different antiphospholipid antibodies in the WAPS (warfarin in the antiphospholipid syndrome) study.

To assess the clinical significance of lupus anticoagulants (LAs) and antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) toward thrombosis and abortions, we measured them in 112 patients whose samples were available at enrollment in the warfarin in the antiphospholipid syndrome (WAPS) study. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and coagulation test values in the highest and lowest tertiles were compared. When considered separately, IgG antibodies to beta2-glycoprotein I (abeta2GPI) and prothrombin (aPT) were associated with anamnestic arterial and venous thrombosis, respectively, and those to annexin AV (aAnAV) with abortions. IgM antibodies to protein S and the lupus ratio of the dilute prothrombin time were associated with prospective thrombosis. No other association for IgM antibodies was seen. LA-positive patients who carried abeta2GPI antibodies were at risk of anamnestic arterial and total thrombosis and aPT antibodies to that of anamnestic venous and total thrombosis. LA-positive patients who carried IgG abeta2GPI and aAnAV antibodies were at risk for both anamnestic abortion and prospective thrombosis. Overall, these data support the inclusion of abeta2GPI antibodies in and suggest the removal of anticardiolipin antibodies from the laboratory criteria of the antiphospholipid syndrome. They also suggest that the measurement of aPT and aAnAV antibodies is useful in some selected situations and that there is little role for IgM antibody detection.

Serum calcium is an independent predictor of quality of life in multiple myeloma.

Bone disease is an important feature of multiple myeloma, and hypercalcaemia is a frequent complication of this disease. We examined the association between serum calcium and quality of life (QOL) scores of 686 multiple myeloma patients at the time of diagnosis. Data from two Nordic studies using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire were analysed by means of linear regression analysis and a curve fitting program. Serum calcium was independently related to appetite loss, nausea/vomiting and physical functioning (P < 0.001) and to cognitive functioning (P = 0.001), i.e. scores reflecting symptoms that are well known in non-malignant hypercalcaemia. In addition, we found a highly significant independent relationship between serum calcium and the scores for fatigue and pain (P < 0.001). Serum calcium appeared to be as strong a predictor for fatigue as the concentration of haemoglobin. A cubic model (y = a + bx3) fitted the data slightly better than the simple linear model (y = a + bx) and suggested worsening QOL scores at levels of serum calcium above 2.5-3.0 mmol/L. Hypercalcaemia in patients with multiple myeloma seems to be associated with the same symptoms as in non-malignant hypercalcaemia. In addition, an increased level of serum calcium may aggravate the pain and fatigue caused by the skeletal disease itself.

Decreased anticoagulant response to tissue factor pathway inhibitor type 1 in plasmas from patients with lupus anticoagulants.

Inhibition of tissue factor pathway inhibitor type 1 (TFPI) is one of the mechanisms by which lupus anticoagulants (LA) may upregulate tissue factor (TF) activity. We wanted to examine whether purified immunoglobulin G (IgG) from patients with LA may interfere with the ability of TFPI to inhibit ex vivo TF-induced thrombin generation. The endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) in pooled normal plasma (PNP) supplemented with IgG from either patients with LA or controls was determined in the absence or presence of recombinant TFPI (rTFPI). In the presence of a heparin neutralizer, the ETP was also determined in plasmas from patients with LA and controls before and after heparin injection in order to quantify the anticoagulant effect of heparin-releasable TFPI in vivo. Compared with IgG from controls (n = 14), IgG from patients with LA (n = 28) induced a wide range of enhancing or inhibitory effects on the ETP in PNP. The response to rTFPI in PNP with IgG from patients with LA correlated inversely with thrombin generation (r(s) = 0.637, P = 0.0003). Correspondingly, the relative inhibition of ETP in postheparin plasmas was smaller for patients (n = 11) than for controls (n = 9) (32% vs. 68%, P = 0.007). Our findings support the hypothesis that TFPI anticoagulant activity is inhibited in some patients with LA.

Intensive therapy for multiple myeloma in patients younger than 60 years. Long-term results focusing on the effect of the degree of response on survival and relapse pattern after transplantation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: From 1994 to 1997 we conducted a population-based, prospective study on intensive therapy in newly diagnosed symptomatic myeloma patients younger than 60 years, comparing their survival to that of a conventionally treated historic population. Long-term results are presented, including the impact of the degree of response on survival and relapse pattern after transplantation. DESIGN AND METHODS: The prospective population was formed of 397 patients and the historic population of 313 patients. Both populations were calculated to comprise more than 75% of the expected number of new cases. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 7 years survival was longer in the prospective population than in the historic one (median 60 versus 39 months; p=0.0002). When comparing only patients eligible for intensive therapy the median survival was 63 versus 44 months (p<0.0001). Attaining a complete response was associated with prolonged event-free survival but not overall survival. The pattern of relapse after transplantation was heterogeneous but could be divided into four major groups; insidious, classical, plasmacytoma form and transformed disease. The median survival after relapse was 29 months. The relapse pattern and time to relapse predicted outcome. Patients relapsing with an insidious or classical form of disease with skeletal events only, or after a long lasting first response were likely to respond well to conventional salvage therapy. In contrast, relapse with multiple symptoms, transformed disease or a short duration of first response implied bad prognosis. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: The relapse pattern after autologous transplantation is heterogeneous and response to salvage therapy is variable. The degree of response and event-free survival after transplantation are not reliable surrogate markers for survival.

Detection and quantification of lupus anticoagulants in plasma from heparin treated patients, using addition of polybrene.

BACKGROUND: Lupus anticoagulants prolong clotting times in phospholipid-dependent coagulation tests. Lupus Ratio assays are integrated tests for lupus anticoagulants that may be based on APTT, RVVT or dPT clotting times. If a patient is being treated with unfractionated heparin, however, the heparin prolong clotting times and the diagnosis of lupus anticoagulant is invalidated. Commercial assays may have heparin neutralising agents added to their reagents. However, the type and efficacy of the heparin neutralisation is often not documented. We wanted to test the influence and efficacy of heparin neutralisers in the Lupus Ratio assay. METHODS: Several heparin neutralisers were tested, and polybrene was chosen for further testing. Unfractionated heparin and/or polybrene were added to normal plasma and to plasma from patients with or without lupus anticoagulant and clotting times compared before and after the additions. Lupus anticoagulant-positive patients were given 5000 IU i.v. of unfractionated heparin and plasma was collected just before and five minutes after the injection. Lupus Ratios were calculated after polybrene was added to the postinjection samples. RESULTS: The Lupus Ratio became slightly lower when polybrene was added to plasma without heparin. Plasma heparinised in vitro and plasma from patients that had received heparin, both had Lupus Ratios nearly identical to the Lupus Ratios calculated before any additions. CONCLUSION: By addition of polybrene to a final concentration of 7.9 microg/ml in test plasma, Lupus Ratio may be determined in lupus anticoagulant-negative as well as positive plasmas irrespective of the presence of heparin 0.0-1.3 U/ml.

[Antineoplastic agents targeting tyrosine kinases]. / Antitumormidler rettet mot tyrosinkinaser.

BACKGROUND: Drugs that target tyrosine kinases belong to a new class of antineoplastic therapeutics, directed at cellular signalling mechanisms. Notes on the use of these agents and some of the clinical data are discussed in this review. METHODS: The article is based on a review of recent literature and the authors' personal experience. RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION: Receptor tyrosine kinases and intracellular tyrosine kinases regulate cellular events that may be involved in tumour development, such as proliferation, survival, and angiogenesis. Some of these agents are established in clinical practice, in particular the small-molecular tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia and gastrointestinal stromal tumours and the antibody trastuzumab in the treatment of breast cancer. Inhibitors of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and other tyrosine kinases are either established in clinical practice or under clinical investigation.