Age-related differences in health-related quality of life among thyroid cancer survivors compared with a normative sample: Results from the PROFILES registry

Background
The purpose of this study was to compare general health-related quality
of life (HR-QOL) of thyroid cancer survivors with a normative sample stratified
by age at diagnosis (adolescents and young adults 18-35 years; middle-aged adults 36-64 years; elderly 65-84 years), and to compare general HR-QOL and diseasespecific symptoms among adolescents and young adults, middle-aged adults, and elderly thyroid cancer survivors in an exploratory population-based cross-sectional study.
Methods
All patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer between 1990 and 2008, who
were registered in the Eindhoven Cancer Registry, received a survey. Our final sample included 293 thyroid cancer survivors.
Results
Compared with a normative sample, adolescents and young adult thyroid
cancer survivors showed statistically significant and clinically meaningfully worse
physical, role, cognitive, and social functioning, and more fatigue and financial problems. Adolescents and young adult thyroid cancer survivors scored statistically significant and clinically meaningfully better on physical functioning and interest in sex compared with the elderly and had less sympathetic and throat/mouth problems compared with middle-aged adults.
Conclusion
Thyroid cancer seems to have a greater impact on younger than older
thyroid cancer survivors and the lower HR-QOL in older compared to younger thyroid cancer survivors is probably caused mostly by their age and not the cancer.