Health-Related Quality of Life in Hematologic Malignancies: From Symptom Burden to Patient-Centered Care

Advances in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, including leukemias, lymphomas and myeloproliferative neoplasms, have extended survival and, in many cases, transformed acute disease into a chronic condition. Yet longer survival brings its own burden: patients frequently report persistent fatigue, sleep disturbances, anxiety and reduced functional capacity that standard clinical endpoints do not capture. Health related quality of life (HRQoL) is now recognized as a core outcome alongside response rate and survival, and international working groups, including the EHA Scientific Working Group on Quality of Life and Symptoms, have called for its systematic integration into hematology practice and research. Despite this consensus, HRQoL assessment remains inconsistent across settings, and evidence on how to translate patient reported data into actionable care remains fragmented.This Research Topic aims to consolidate and advance the evidence base on patient reported outcomes (PROs) and HRQoL in hematologic malignancies, moving from symptom description toward practical, implementable solutions. Recent work has highlighted specific and often under-recognized dimensions of the patient experience, such as sleep disturbances following diagnosis and the feasibility of delivering intensive treatment, including cytarabine based regimens, in outpatient settings without compromising wellbeing. Building on this momentum, we invite research that identifies the key clinical, psychosocial and treatment related predictors of HRQoL, evaluates PRO measures for validity and responsiveness across disease subtypes, and tests interventions, from outpatient care models to psychosocial and supportive care programs, designed to preserve or improve quality of life. Contributions that incorporate the perspective of patients and patient associations are particularly encouraged, as they help ensure that research priorities reflect what matters most to those living with disease.We welcome only Original Research, Review, Mini Review and Perspective articles on themes including, but not limited to:• Predictors and determinants of health related quality of life across leukemias, lymphomas and myeloproliferative neoplasms• Sleep disturbances, fatigue and psychosocial symptom burden following diagnosis and during treatment• Feasibility, safety and patient experience of outpatient or ambulatory delivery of intensive therapies• Validation, adaptation and implementation of PRO and HRQoL measurement tools in clinical practice and trials• Patient and caregiver perspectives, including collaborations with patient associations, on unmet needs and care priorities• Supportive care and psychosocial interventions to improve quality of life in hematologic malignancy patientsPlease note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of sole public databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic. Topic editors: Esther Natalie Oliva, Sam Salek Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83391/health-related-quality-of-life-in-hematologic-malignancies-from-symptom-burden-to-patient-centered-care