Abstract T092

Patients with a history of Hodgkin lymphoma have lower quality of life than matched comparators regardless of time elapsed since diagnosis

Background: Modern treatment strategies have led to excellent survival rates for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL); however, the long-term burden of the disease remains a concern. This study examines health-related quality of life (QoL) in individuals with HL compared to a matched general population cohort, with a specific focus on time since HL diagnosis.

Methods: A cross-sectional digital survey was conducted, inviting all patients with a history of HL in Denmark and up to 10 age- and sex-matched general population comparators per patient. QoL was assessed using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core-30 questionnaire (QLQ-C30). Adjusted mean differences (MD) between groups were calculated using linear regression, adjusted for age and sex, and stratified by time since HL diagnosis: 0–5 years (short follow-up [FU]), >5–10 years (medium FU), and >10 years (long FU). Minimal clinically important difference (MCID) thresholds were defined as small (MD >5–10 points), moderate (MD >10–20 points), and large (MD >20 points).

Results: The final study population included 1,519 individuals with a history of HL (37% of 4,156 invited) and 5,110 comparators (12% of 41,558 invited). By time since diagnosis, 245 individuals were in the short group (with 703 comparators), 234 in the medium group (with 718 comparators), and 1,040 in the long group (with 3,689 comparators). Median time since HL diagnosis was 16 years (IQR: 8–28). QoL was clinically meaningfully lower than in patients with a history of HL compared to comparators across all time strata (QLQ-C30 summary score for short FU: 84 [95% CI: 82-86] vs. 91 [95% CI: 91-92]; medium: 85 [95% CI: 83-87] vs. 93 [95% CI: 92-93]; long: 86 [95% CI: 85-87] vs. 92 [95% CI: 91-92]). Patients with previous HL reported clinically meaningfully higher levels of fatigue, dyspnea, pain, insomnia, and financial difficulties than comparators (Table 1). Notably, fatigue levels appeared to improve with increasing time since diagnosis, whereas dyspnea appeared to worsen over time.

Conclusion: A history of HL was associated with a persistent QoL gap compared to age- and sex-matched general population comparators. The enduring nature of these deficits suggests the need for specialized survivorship initiatives.