Impact of cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome on health-related quality of life and resource utilisation: a systematic review

Introduction: Cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome (CACS) negatively impacts patients’ quality of life (QoL) and increases the burden on healthcare resources. Objectives: To review published CACS data regarding health-related QOL (HRQoL) and its economic impact on the healthcare system. Methods: Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, DARE, and NHS EED databases. Results: A total of 458 HRQoL and 189 healthcare resources utilisation abstracts were screened, and 42 and 2 full-text articles were included, respectively. The EORTC QLQ-C30 and FAACT instruments were most favoured for assessing HRQOL but none of the current tools cover all domains affected by CACS. Economic estimates for managing CACS are scarce, with studies lacking a breakdown of healthcare resource utilisation items. Conclusions: HRQoL instruments that can better assess and incorporate all the domains affected by CACS are required. Rigorous assessment of costs and benefits of treatment are needed to understand the magnitude of the impact of CACS.