New study confirms link between cancer patients’ quality of life and survival

A major new study by Lim et al.¹, published at the end of March in a leading medical journal eClinicalMedicine, has confirmed that certain quality of life measures can predict survival in cancer patients. The research replicated findings from a 2009 study by Quinten et al. using independent trial data that encompassed a broader cancer population, spanning across 17 different cancer types. The findings reinforce the importance of considering patients’ well-being alongside traditional clinical factors when making treatment decisions.

• The study confirmed Quinten et al.’s finding that better physical functioning, lower pain levels, and reduced appetite loss at baseline were associated with longer survival;
• Other factors, such as overall health status, dyspnoea (breathing difficulties), and emotional and cognitive functioning, also played a role in predicting survival.

• The authors looked at health-related quality of life scores assessed using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) from 46 clinical trials conducted between 1996 and 2013;
• The study analysed data from 16,210 patients across 17 different cancer types and several cancer research networks, making the findings more reliable and applicable to a wide range of cancer patients.

“Understanding how a cancer patient’s well-being affects their prognosis allows doctors to make better treatment plans that focus not just on fighting cancer but also on improving the patient’s overall quality of life,” said Mr Lim, the lead author of the study. “These measures can provide valuable insights for both clinical trials and everyday clinical practice.”

This study’s findings add to the growing body of evidence highlighting the need for healthcare professionals to integrate quality of life assessments into routine cancer care. By focusing on key quality of life measures, clinicians can better predict patient outcomes and tailor treatments to improve both survival and quality of life.

The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation, which unites clinical cancer research experts, throughout Europe, to define better treatments for cancer patients to prolong survival and improve quality of life. Spanning from translational to large, prospective, multi-centre, phase III clinical trials that evaluate new therapies and treatment strategies as well as patient quality of life, its activities are coordinated from EORTC Headquarters, a unique international clinical research infrastructure, based in Brussels, Belgium.

The Quality of Life Group (QLG) strives to improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of cancer patients, through dedicated research and the use of HRQoL measures within cancer clinical trials and clinical practice. HRQoL constitutes an important aspect of cancer research and care: it gives a voice to patients, putting their experience at the forefront. The QLG is part of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC).
For further information, please visit the QLG website: qol.eortc.org

Caroline Hance (EORTC QLG)
caroline.hance@eortc.org

¹ Luigi Lim et al. Prognostic value of baseline EORTC QLQ-C30 scores for overall survival across 46 clinical trials covering 17 cancer types: a validation study. eClinicalMedicine, Volume 82, 2025, 103153, ISSN 2589-5370, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2025.103153.