Associations between baseline demographic, clinical and lifestyle factors, and changes in fatigue, depression, and health-related quality of life in long-term cancer survivors: a cohort study

Purpose: To investigate the longitudinal associations between demographic, clinical and lifestyle factors, and changes in patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in cancer survivors 6–9 years post-diagnosis in Western Australia. Methods: A total of 290 individuals participated in this study. Three-quarters of participants were female, and 55%, 31%, and 14% were survivors of breast cancer, colon cancer, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), respectively. PROs (fatigue, depression, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL)) were reported at two time points (2012–13 and 2017). Descriptive statistics were used to assess the overall changes over time and linear mixed models were used to identify factors associated with changes over time, after adjusting for confounders. Results: No significant changes were observed in PROs between time point 1 and follow-up at the population level, yet a notable proportion of participants (23% for fatigue, 10% for depression, and 39% for HRQOL) reported a negative minimal clinically important difference (MCID). Being non-Caucasian and having had NHL were associated with negative changes over time. Being obese and having had radiotherapy were related to improved outcomes. Conclusion: Cancer survivors whose levels of fatigue, depression, and quality of life are compromised during cancer treatment may require intervention even 6–9 years post-treatment. Our results suggest particular attention should be paid to those who are non-Caucasian and who have had NHL. This is crucial for providing appropriate care and to support those who are at increased risk of deteriorating naturally over time.