Improving Health-Related Quality of Life in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients: Key Methodologies for Assessing Patient Reported Outcomes and Intervention Targets

Andrew M Moon; Michael D Kappelman; A Sidney Barritt Iv; Donna M Evon; Hanna K Sanoff; Lynne I Wagner

doi:10.2147/JHC.S347929

Improving Health-Related Quality of Life in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients: Key Methodologies for Assessing Patient Reported Outcomes and Intervention Targets

J Hepatocell Carcinoma. 2025 Mar 5:12:497-511. doi: 10.2147/JHC.S347929. eCollection 2025.

Authors

Andrew M Moon^{1

2}, Michael D Kappelman³, A Sidney Barritt Iv¹, Donna M Evon¹, Hanna K Sanoff^{2

4}, Lynne I Wagner^{2

5}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
² Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
³ Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
⁴ Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
⁵ Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a complex cancer that generally arises in the context of cirrhosis. Patients with HCC have symptom burden and impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) resulting from underlying liver disease, HCC, and cancer treatments. Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures may improve the management of patients with HCC by accurately capturing the patient perspective, informing prognosis, guiding treatment decisions, and supporting symptom based and palliative care. Furthermore, PRO use in HCC research could enhance patient-focused therapy development. This review focuses on the clinical and research assessment of PROs among patients with HCC.

Keywords: HRQOL; PROs; cirrhosis; liver cancer.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This research was supported in part by an AASLD Clinical, Translational and Outcomes Award from the AASLD Foundation (AMM).