PROGNOSTIC FACTORS AND SURVIVAL IN A HETEROGENEOUS SAMPLE OF CANCER-PATIENTS

This study examines the prognostic value of clinical assessments: incl uding a 3-fold classification of cancer patients by treatment intentio n. It is based upon a sample of 253 patients with different cancer dia gnoses who filled out a 108-item questionnaire. Cox regression analysi s (the proportional hazards model) was used to analyse the relationshi p or the three groups of covariates (clinical, demographic and psychos ocial) with survival, The univariate analysis showed that several clin ical, demographic and psychosocial covariates are significantly relate d to survival. The study located two main prognostic factors: the 3-fo ld classification by treatment intention being the most important one, followed by physical functioning which may be seen as a proxy for per formance status. Several additional covariates including psychosocial ones were related to survival when considered separately. However thei r effects disappeared when controlling for treatment intention and phy sical functioning. Thus, the additional psychosocial covariates did no t add to the prognostic value of the model.