Researchers claim that establishing how well people are surviving with cancer is as important as how long they are surviving. Quality of life measures can give valuable information for cancer patients and doctors.
While the authors of a new study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention write of the importance of quality of life assessments, there is disagreement as to how quality of life is defined and how it can be accurately researched. The authors state that the information can be used “…to help identify [the patients’] rehabilitative needs.”
Typical aspects measured when assessing quality of life include physical and social factors such as pain, fatigue, cognitive difficulties, sexual difficulties and body image concerns.
