Quality of life evaluation in lymphoedema

Summary

The lymphatic system is a network of small vessels draining clear fluid (lymph) from all bodily tissues. Many different disorders, including birth defect, infection and malignancy (cancer), can cause blockage of the system, resulting in chronic swelling, usually affecting arms or legs. This "lymphoedema" causes considerable discomfort and affects many aspects of the patient's life. Health‐related quality of life (QOL) is an important measure in health care, but to date the only QOL measure for patients with lymphoedema has been the Freiburg Life Quality Assessment for lymphoedema (FLQA‐L) ‐ a reliable measure but just too detailed for regular use in clinical practice, having 92 questions. This study from Germany aimed to create a more user‐friendly version. First, they re‐analysed the original FLQA‐L data and identified 33 questions which appeared most informative, covering 5 domains: physical impairments, daily life, social life, mental health and therapy. This shorter version (FLQA‐LS) was then mailed out to 348 lymphoedema patients at 33 clinics; 91% were women and the average age was 57 years. 295 patients completed the questionnaire. The items scoring highest (meaning having the highest impact) were "anxiety about a possible worsening of the disease", "feeling pain in the arm or leg", "joint pain" and "time‐consuming treatments", while impairment of social life showed the lowest values. Statistical analysis of the results showed good correlations with other general health related QOL scores. The FLQA‐LS appears to be a valuable assessment tool for patients with lymphoedema and now needs to be tested in patients over time.

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