Health-related quality of life in adults with hodgkin's disease: The state of the science

Hodgkin's disease (HD) affects younger and older adults and can disrupt developmental tasks and cause multiple medical sequelae. Since long-term survival is excellent, understanding issues related to all domains of health-related quality of life (HRQOL)-physical, psychological, social/functional, and spiritual-after completion of treatment is a critical step in designing and testing interventions to improve survivors' adjustment and return to their previous level of functioning. This article is an integrative review of empirical studies of HRQOL in HD survivors. Following Ganong's guidelines, 35 studies were identified and reviewed. Commonly reported physical consequences of HD include fatigue, anticipatory nausea and vomiting, and cognitive problems that lasted several years after treatment completion, as well as long-term life-threatening adverse effects including secondary cancers and cardiovascular and respiratory complications. Psychological consequences include emotional distress, especially depression and anxiety, and social/functional difficulty, including inability to return to work and adjustment to the workplace environment secondary to diminished capacity to complete work tasks. Within the spiritual domain, survivors reported that they had a greater appreciation for life after treatment. Development of appropriate theory-guided interventions to improve the HRQOL for HD survivors can be achieved through more rigorous study designs and standardization of HRQOL measurements.