Quality of life in patients with monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis or chronic lymphocytic leukaemia managed by active monitoring

Background: While quality of life (QOL) for patients receiving active cancer treatment has been well researched, there is a paucity of QOL data for patients with a diagnosis of lymphoproliferative disorders such as monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) managed by active monitoring.Aim: To investigate QOL in patients with a diagnosis of MBL or treatment-naive CLL managed by active monitoring.Method: This was a quantitative study that used the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). This tool comprises 30 questions, and respondents’ answers are formatted into five functional scales, nine symptom scales and a global health status/QOL scale. A total of 243 patients were recruited, 45 with MBL and 198 with CLL.Results: Respondents’ global health status/QOL and emotional functioning were rated as lower compared with the other functional scales. Respondents’ scores on the symptom scales for insomnia and fatigue were higher, indicating these symptoms were worse than others. Comparison between the MBL and CLL patient groups showed no statistically significant differences in the global health status/QOL, functional or symptom scales, except for financial difficulties. The results for emotional functioning and fatigue were similar, suggesting a possible link between these two aspects of QOL that warrants further investigation.Conclusion: Several aspects of QOL may be particularly affected among many patients with MBL and CLL managed by active monitoring. Therefore, cancer nurses and other healthcare professionals should aim to identify and address the needs of patients with MBL and CLL to ensure they receive holistic care.