Table 2 Presentation of included studies

Adamowicz (2018) [29]

Poland

Journal of Cancer Education

To investigate which environmental factors, incl. Unconventional methods of treatment and dietary supplementation, influenced patients’ QoL.

Prospective

N = 330 palliative colon cancer patients

Data collection Jan. 2010 to Dec. 2016

50% had an ECOG performance status of 1–2.

QLQ-C30

Asplund (2017) [36]

Denmark &Sweden

International Journal of Colorectal Disease

To investigate the association of intrusive thoughts and the patients’ sense of coherence with pretreatment QoL in patients with newly diagnosed rectal cancer.

Cross-sectional

N = 1085 patients with rectal cancer, all stages.

N = 73 palliative patients

Data collection Feb. 2012 to Sep. 2015

VAS

Färkkilä (2013) [28]

Helsinki, Finland.

Colorectal Disease

To assess the HRQoL among various disease states of CRC in real-world settings using three standard instruments and to compare it with the HRQoL of the general population. Furthermore, to explore clinical and demographic factors determening HRQoL in CRC.

Cross -sectional

N = 508 CRC patients N = 41 CRC palliative patients

Data collection Oct. 2009 to Feb. 2011.

EQ-5D

VAS

QLQ-C30

15D

Färkkilä (2014) [27]

Helsinki, Finland

Quality of Life Research

To explore HRQoL and assess utility in BC, PCa and CRC patients during the final stages of their disease, to compare the results obtained by different HRQoL instruments, and to explore factors related to impaired HRQoL.

Cross-sectional

N = 114 N = 57 CRC

Data collection Sep. 2009 to Apr. 2011.

Months until death for the CRC group:

<  3 = 17 (30%)

3–6 = 15 (26%)

>  6 = 25 (44%)

EQ-5D

VAS

QLQ-C30

15D

Selby (2010) [40]

Canada

Palliative Medicine

To track changes in symptoms and RSCL subscale scores from presentation to 3 months of follow-up.

Prospective, Longitudinal

N = 35 patients with non-curable metastatic cancer

N = 19 mCRC

Data collection Mar. 2006 to Mar. 2008

ECOG of all included patients:

0 = 14.3%

1 = 28.6%

2 = 25.7%

3 = 28.6%

4 = 2.9%

During the study, 25 patients died.

Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS)

Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSCL)

Stein (2014) [30]

The Netherlands and the United Kingdom

International Journal of Colorectal Disease

To elicit EQ-5D utility values from real-world mCRC patients receiving second and subsequent lines of therapy both pre- and post-progression in a real-world setting.

Cross-sectional

N = 75 mCRC

N = 33 post- progression/ palliative

Data collection Apr. 2012- Dec. 2012

ECOG of all included patients (for palliative):

0 = 24% (21.2%)

1 = 66.7% (66.7%)

2 = 9.3% (12.1%)

EQ-5D

VAS

Teker (2015) [26]

Turkey

JBUON- Open Acess Journal amied at the diffusion of scientific knowledge in oncology.

To evaluate the QoL in CRC patients undergoing chemotherapy and to explore the relationship between QoL and patient characteristics and to evaluate the relationship between QoL and different chemotherapy regimens.

Cross-sectional

N = 101 CRC

N = 73 CRC palliative

Timeframe unknown

ECOG:

All patients between 0 and 2

QLQ-C30

Mayrbäurl (2016) [31]

Austria

Support Care Cancer

To compare HRQoL as reported by patients measured by computer-assisted completion of validated questionnaires in patients with nonresectable advanced CRC while they were undergoing treatment with several palliative chemotherapy lines.

Prospective, longitudinal

N = 100 Patients with nonresectable advanced CRC.

Data collection Feb. 2007- Sep. 2011

25% of the patients died during the first year of the study. 29% died during the second year and 26% died during the third year.

QLQ-C30

Jasinska (2010) [37]

Poland

Contemporary Oncology

To assess the effectiveness of palliative care during the hospitalization period in palliative oncological, end-of-life patients with lung, prostate, breast and colon cancer. Considering the linkage between the outcomes and type of tumor.

Prospective, longitudinal

N = 41 N = 16 CRC palliative

Data collection Feb. 2007 to Apr. 2009

ECOG of all included patients:

1 = 0%

2 = 4.88%

3 = 53.66%

4 = 41.46%

20 patients died during the study. 37.5% of the 16 CRC patients died.

EORTC

QLQ-C15-PAL

Kim (2013) [38]

South Korea

Psycho-Oncology

To investigate the impact of patients’ awareness of their terminal status on their survival and QoL.

Prospective cohort

N = 262 N = 56 = metastatic, terminal CRC

Data collection Mar. 2009 to Aug. 2011

ECOG of all included patients:

0 = 5.7%

1 = 7.3%

2 = 29.8%

3 = 40.8%

4 = 16.4%

VAS

Koskinen (2019) [39]

Finland

ACTA ONCOLOGICA

To examine the relationship between financial difficulties and HRQoL among breast, prostate and colon cancer patients in different stages of the disease as well as to calculate the total burden to patients caused by cancer. Also, to identify patient characteristics that are associated with financial difficulties and HRQoL and identify factors affecting the cost.

Cross-sectional

N = 1.978

N = 508 CRC

N = 41 CRC palliative

Data collection 2009–2011

EQ-5D

VAS

QLQ-C30

15D