Measuring health-related quality of life in solid rare cancer patients: A study protocol

Abstract

Rare cancer patients often face delayed diagnosis and lack of expert care which are a challenge to clinical practice. Patients diagnosed with a rare tumour report poorer psychosocial outcomes and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The impairment might be explained by the challenges patients with rare cancer face during their disease trajectory. Specific HRQoL assessment is important to understand the variances in the quality of life patients experience. This study aims to examine how HRQoL is currently assessed in clinical adult solid rare cancer research and identify specific HRQoL issues patients experience and issues faced in the healthcare system due to the disease’s rarity. Further, this study aims to test the content validity of existing HRQoL questionnaires. In this mixed-method research, two literature reviews will be conducted, and clinical data will be collected worldwide in a multicentre approach via interviews and questionnaires. Basic quantitative analysis will be used to analyse patient and HCP data. The project outcomes will result in standards of the HRQoL measurement in patients diagnosed with a solid rare cancer.