QUALITY OF LIFE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN ELDERLY PEOPLE WITH MULTIPLE MYELOMA TREATED IN THE UNIFIED HEALTH SYSTEM (SUS)

Abstract

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell cancer that mainly affects the elderly population, with an average age of 70 years. It represents around 2% of cancers and ranks second among hematological neoplasms. Despite the improvement in survival of individuals with MM, it is still an incurable pathology marked by relapses and remissions. Impacts of the disease on the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of these elderly people are observed. In patients living with cancer, the factors that negatively affect HRQoL, when minimized, lead to better clinical outcomes. The present study aimed to evaluate HRQOL and associated factors in elderly people with MM in first line of treatment or relapses, treated at the Hospital das Clínicas of the Federal University of Pernambuco (HC-UFPE). This is a cross-sectional, quantitative study where participants were characterized from a sociodemographic and clinical point of view and comparisons were made with HRQoL scores. HRQoL was assessed using the following questionnaires: Quality of Life Questionnaire of European Organization Research for Treatment of Cancer (EORTC-QLQ C-30) and Quality of Life Questionnaire of  Multiple Myeloma-20 (EORTC QLQ-MY20). Of the 27 patients included, the majority are between 60 and 69 years old, are black, married, have low education, IgG Kappa subtype, less than 5 years of illness, submitted to only one line of treatment, with no history of Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT), present multimorbidity and polypharmacy, good performance status index and advanced staging. Low education, widowed/divorced, multimorbidity and worse Performance Status demonstrated significant deterioration in HRQoL. Contemplating and controlling the multifactorial aspects of elderly people with MM are strategies to improve HRQoL. 

DOI: 10.56238/edimpacto2025.060-011