Systematic review of the relationship between quality of life and survivalin cancer patients

The increasing numbers of publications on quality of life (QL) indicate its increasing importance. Several studies suggested that selected aspects of QL assessments predict survival. In the present study we summarize the avai lable evidence for patients with cancer. The applied methods are based on t he recommendation of the Evidence-Based Working Group. A literature search supplemented by hand-searching identified 78 reports of which 22 met our ne cessary criteria for inclusion in this review. Due to heterogeneity in the instruments and definitions used for assessment of QL we confine our conclu sion to five points: 1) QL assessments are suggestive of prognostic signifi cance for survival in patients with cancer; 2) Global QL scores or summary scores of QL seem to be the dimensions with the most reliable prognostic po wer, 3) The dimension of physical activity is probably another independent prognostic factor for survival; 4) Individually, none of the 14 investigate d symptoms seems to be correlated with survival; 5) Several other factors, such as characteristics of the tumour or marital status, may also be correl ated with survival. (C) 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.