Health-Related Quality of Life in Cancer Immunotherapy
Summary
In recent years, immunotherapy has reshaped oncology by harnessing the immune system to target malignant cells. Alongside survival gains, attention has turned to health-related quality of life, which encompasses physical, psychological and social domains of well-being. Patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors may experience unique immune-related adverse events, including dermatological, endocrine and gastrointestinal effects, which can fluctuate in intensity and duration. Assessments using standardised patient-reported outcome measures have begun to document the impact of therapy beyond clinical response, revealing that persistent fatigue, cognitive challenges and emotional distress may accompany long-term remission. Equally, qualitative analyses highlight the “limbo” lived experience of survivors, balancing gratitude for extended survival with fear of recurrence and identity shifts. This evolving field integrates quantitative and qualitative approaches to optimise supportive care, tailor follow-up and inform shared decision-making globally.
Research from Nature Portfolio
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Health-Related Quality of Life in Cancer Immunotherapy publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in health-related quality of life in cancer immunotherapy across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL): A multidimensional concept encompassing physical, psychological and social aspects of well-being as perceived by patients.
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor (ICI): A class of drugs that block regulatory pathways in T cells to enhance anti-tumour immunity.
Immune-Related Adverse Event (irAE): Toxicities arising from immune activation, affecting organs such as the skin, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine glands and lungs.
Patient-Reported Outcome Measure (PROM): A validated questionnaire completed by patients to assess symptoms, functional status and quality of life directly.
Qualitative Study: A research method using interviews or focus groups to explore patients’ subjective experiences and meanings in depth.
References
- Living in the twilight zone: a qualitative study on the experiences of patients with advanced cancer obtaining long-term response to immunotherapy or targeted therapy. Journal of Cancer Survivorship (2022).
- Cancer patients’ experiences with immune checkpoint modulators: A qualitative study. Cancer Medicine (2020).
- Health-related quality of life (QoL) in patients with advanced melanoma receiving immunotherapies in real-world clinical practice settings. Quality of Life Research (2020).
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