Quality of life in a real-world study of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with trifluridine/tipiracil.

Background: Quality of life (qol) is important for oncology patients, especially for those with late-stage disease. The present study was initiated to address the lack of published prospective data about the qol benefits of trifluridine/tipiracil (ftd/tpi) compared with best supportive care (bsc) in patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mcrc).
Methods: This prospective, cross-sectional, non-interventional study used multidimensional validated scales to evaluate patient-reported qol in two study cohorts of patients and also to measure differences in mcrc-related symptoms and pain in a real-world clinical setting.
Results: Our findings demonstrate that patients with refractory mcrc report better overall qol when treated with ftd/tpi than with bsc alone. In that population, statistically significant differences in mean qol measures favoured ftd/tpi over bsc for physical symptom distress, psychological distress, activity impairment, overall valuation of life, and symptomatology. The overall better qol for patients receiving ftd/tpi implies that treatment was well tolerated and was associated with a lower symptom burden. No significant differences for pain were observed between the groups.
Conclusions: This study suggests that ftd/tpi is a well-tolerated option for the treatment of patients with refractory mcrc, showcasing the value of capturing real-world qol data in routine clinical practice.
Competing Interests: CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURES We have read and understood Current Oncology’s policy on disclosing conflicts of interest, and we declare the following interests: WYC serves as an advisor to tcan and has received research grants and honoraria from the company; PK has received educational and research grants from tcan and participated on company- organized advisory boards; AD is Director, Medical, at tcan. This real-world treatment study was supported by tcan, who also contributed to study design, data collection, and data interpretation. The authors had full access to all data in the study, and all authors had responsibility for the final decision to submit the work for publication.
(2020 Multimed Inc.)