PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF QUALITY-OF-LIFE SCORES IN TERMINAL CANCER-PATIENTS

A multicenter cross-sectional study of 115 terminal cancer patients in eight home-care units assessed the prognostic value of quality of lif e scores, as measured by the Therapy Impact Questionnaire (TIQ). The a nalysis of the questionnaires completed by 100 patients revealed an as sociation between survival and many of the scales: fatigue, gastrointe stinal symptoms, global health status, functional impairment, emotiona l status, and cognitive status. This association was also observed for some specific physical symptoms, such as confusion, weakness, and los s of appetite, and the overall number of symptoms reported by the pati ent. Adjusting for some possible confounding factors, only confusion ( among the physical symptoms), cognitive status, and global health stat us (among TIQ primary scales) showed independent prognostic value. As regards the latter two scales, median survival time was distributed di fferently for patients with no impairment of either (137 days), with i mpairment of one scale (50 days) and with impairment of both scales (1 7 days). The judgment expressed by the patient about subjective percep tion of general malaise and cognitive difficulties can give the clinic ian important prognostic information.