Survey of Health Preferences in Cancer Patients (QALY-Cancer)

Survey of Health Preferences in Cancer Patients: a Study Protocol for a Prospective, Longitudinal Cohort Using Online Survey

This study will evaluate health utilities in patients with breast or colorectal cancer.

The cost-utility analysis (CUA) is an increasingly used method to help health decision-maker. The CUA uses the Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALY) that combines the length of life with the health related quality of life (HRQoL) into a single score.

In Quebec, no QALY calculation tool has been adapted to its linguistic and socio-cultural context, neither for its general population nor for a particular subpopulation, like patients with cancer.

The objectives will be to analyze the extent of the divergence in terms of health states utilities between the general population and patients with breast or colorectal cancer; to develop a QALY preference weights dataset for patients with cancer; to perform "mapping" with different health-related quality of life questionnaires by correlating SF6Dv2 with EQ-5D-5L, EORTC QLQ-C30 and FACT- G. The data will be collected with a self-administered online survey. Patients outcomes will be measured at the beginning of the chemotherapy treatment cycle and about 8 days after the start of chemotherapy. Health utilities will be measured with a hybrid method using the time-trade-off (TTO) and the discrete experimental choice (DCE) method using SF6Dv2 questionnaire for health states.

Inclusion Criteria:

• to be 18 years of age or older;
• to reside in Quebec;
• have already had a chemotherapy treatment cycle;
• be on the eve of a new round of chemotherapy treatment;
• have breast or colorectal cancer

Exclusion Criteria:

• being over 80 years of age;
• not be able to complete a computer questionnaire;
• can not read or write in French;
• not be able to sign a consent form;
• the only treatment offered is surgery;
• presence of metastases to the brain;
• patient with delirium, psychosis or severe depression (i.e. chronic condition with treatment)