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.