A longitudinal evaluation of health-related quality of life in patients with AL amyloidosis: associations with health outcomes over time

Light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a rare disease associated with significant, irreversible organ dysfunction and high case fatality. An observational study was conducted to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients treated for AL amyloidosis between 1994 and 2014 with both high dose melphalan and stem cell transplantation (HDM/SCT) or non-SCT chemotherapy regimens. The SF-36v1 (R) Health Survey (SF-36) was administered to assess HRQoL during clinic visits. Analysis of variance was used to compare pre- and post-treatment HRQoL within each treatment group to an age- and gender-adjusted general population (GP) normative sample. Cox proportional hazard models were fit to examine associations between pre-treatment levels of HRQoL and mortality within 1 and 5years after initiating specific treatment regimens (HDM/SCT: n=402; non-SCT chemotherapy regimens: n=172). Among patients who received HDM/SCT, there were significant improvements following treatment in vitality, social functioning, role-emotional and mental health. Worse pre-treatment SF-36 physical component scores were associated with a greater risk of mortality in both treatment groups and follow-up periods (P <= 0.005 for both). [Correction added on 20 October 2017, after first online publication: This P value has been corrected]. Using HRQoL assessments in every physician visit or treatment may provide valuable insights for treating rare conditions like AL amyloidosis.