Indolent lymphomas, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, marginal zone lymphoma, low-grade follicular lymphoma, and Waldenström macroglobulinemia, are slow-growing cancers often managed initially with a watchful waiting strategy. This approach avoids unnecessary side effects of early therapy but may negatively impact patients' quality of life (QoL) due to anxiety, uncertainty, and self-monitoring of symptoms. Previous research has suggested increased distress and greater QoL decline in patients under observation compared to those receiving treatment, despite similar or lower disease burden. Moreover, poor QoL has been shown to independently predict overall survival in non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients. However, there are limited data from Asian populations, where cultural factors, health insurance systems, and treatment access differ significantly. This study will evaluate the impact of watchful waiting on patient-reported QoL among Korean patients with indolent lymphoma, providing evidence specific to this population and healthcare setting.
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Quality of Life Assessed by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30)
Timeframe: At enrollment during a routine outpatient visit for patients managed with watch-and-wait; single assessment completed once on the day of enrollment (expected 20-30 minutes).