ESTRO 2024 - Abstract Book

S2747

Interdisciplinary - Global health

ESTRO 2024

incidence, predominant age, sex and sociocultural variables (2-3). Hadrontherapy or particle therapy (PT) plays a role in the management of these tumors, particularly the radioresistant ones. QoL of pts suffering from these cancers has been poorly investigated after PT (4-8). Our aim is to prospectively collect QoL data by means of questionnaires in long-term survivors with HNCs, SBCs and BCs curatively treated with PT and to investigate their relationships with socio-demographic variables, psychological factors, experienced toxicity, tumor site and type of treatment.

Material/Methods:

This cross-sectional study included long-term tumor free survivors of HNCs, SBCs and BCs treated with PT (both carbon ions and/or protons) from 2011 to 2018. Pts were invited to participate when evaluated for standard of care follow-up (fup) which is taking place in telemedicine modality. After the teleconsultation, pts receives a web link to the platform where they can fill the questionnaires. Inclusion Criteria were as follows: pts with at least a fup of 5 years with HNCs, SBCs and BCs, no evidence of progressive disease, aged ≥ 18 years. Exclusion criteria were as follows: re-irradiation, second tumor, psychiatric and neurological diseases leading to disability which could impair compilation of questionnaires. Questionnaires EORTC QLQ-C30 and Brief Resilient Copy Scale (BRCS) were administered to all patients, while QLQ-BN20 and QLQ-HN43 were given to patients with SBCs or BCs and HNCs respectively once at the time of telemedicine consultation (9-13). Descriptive statistics were computed for categorical variables by computing their frequencies and percentages, and the quantitative variables were computed by their mean and standard and SD or median and Interquartile Range (IQR), as appropriate. Descriptive statistics were generated for demographic, lifestyle-related, clinical factors, and QoL. Associations with clinical and/or social factors were performed with t-test, anova one-way analysis or chi square test. R Pearson Correlation was used for correlation between age, RT total dose and schedule. From March 2023 to October 2023 twenty-one pts have been prospectively enrolled during teleconsultations. Patients’ characteristics are listed in Figure 1. Mean fup time was 7.63 years (SD: 1.52). Fifteen pts (71.4%) had SBCs and BCs and six patients suffered from HNCs. PT was performed in all pts: eight pts (38.1%) received carbon ion therapy (mean total dose: 68.3 Gy RBE, SD: 4.95) and thirteen pts (62%) underwent proton therapy (mean total dose: 69.75 Gy RBE, SD: 4.94). All pts completed the questionnaires and median/mean scores of specific items are listed in Figure 2. In all pts median score of global health status (QL2) was 66.7 (IQR: 58.3-83.3) according to QLQ C30. For HNCs pts median score of QL2 was lower 54.15 (IQR: 50-66.7) with respect to median score of QL2 of SBCs/BCs (66.7, IQR: 66.7-83.3), although not statistically significant (p = 0.08). In all pts we found that age was correlated with item “pain” (PA) according to QLQ-C30 (p = 0.025), meaning that elderly pts reported more pain. Moreover, presence of caregiver was associated to high QL2 score according to QLQ-C30 (p=0.01). There were no statistically significant association between QL2 and particle. In our population “Physical functioning” (PF2) according to QLQ-C30 was associated with employment status (unemployed vs employed) meaning that pts employed had a better score (p=0.034). Toxicity rates were assessed according to CTCAE v 5.0: there were only two grade 3 (hearing impairment and vision decreased) and seventeen grade 2, while forty-one were of grade 1. Grade ≥ 2 toxicity was related to high pain according to specific item PA of QLQ-C30 (p=0.037). Resilience was assessed by completion of BRCS. In HNCs pts median score was 12 (IQR: 12-16) meaning that the majority was “low resilient copers”, while SBCs/BCs pts had a median score of 14 (IQR: 12-16) meaning “medium resilient copers”. Results: