Quality of life: Cancer survivor predictor
Posted on: Friday, 4 September 2009, 14:00 CDT
A person's quality of life prior to treatment can help predict the survival of patients with advanced, non-small cell, lung cancer, U.S. researchers said.
The study, published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, pooled research from six clinical trials -- involving a total of 420 patients with advanced, non-small cell, lung cancer.
Dr. Yingwei Qi of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and colleagues found patients' self-assessment of their pre-treatment quality of life -- measured by the single-item Spitzer Uniscale -- can alone predict overall survival, and that for those with a low score, the risk of death was twice as high as for those with high scores.
With the knowledge that quality of life is an independent prognostic factor, doctors will be better able to use this tool in patient assessment to provide more accurate prediction of overall survival,
Qi, the study's leader, said in a statement.
Source: United Press International
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