title: A pilot study of the Functional Living Index-Cancer (FLIC) Scale for the assessment of quality of life for metastatic lung cancer patients. An Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group study.
abstract: Quality of life is an important factor in the assessment of cancer therapy, but it is difficult to define and measure. The Functional Living Index-Cancer (FLIC) was designed specifically for cancer patients under treatment. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) mounted a pilot study to assess the feasibility and sensitivity of the patient-oriented FLIC scale for assessment of quality of life. The results of this study show that the FLIC scores correlate with the functional status of patients on treatment: high scores on the FLIC prior to therapy were found to correlate with good performance status (p = 0.0001), and decreases in the FLIC score during therapy correlated with a decline in performance status (p = 0.0001), with poor performance status (p = 0.0002), and greater than 5% recent weight loss (p = 0.004). However, there was poor compliance to completion of the instrument, indicating a need for future research into this aspect of assessing quality of life in the cooperative group setting.
authors.affiliation: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Cassileth
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Bonomi
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ruckdeschel
authors.forename: E Z
authors.initials: EZ
authors.lastname: Ezdinli
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wolter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D016685:Mitomycin; D008937:Mitomycins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010358:Patient Participation; D011344:Procarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011374:Progesterone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011788:Quality of Life; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D008937:Mitomycins; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D011344:Procarbazine; D011374:Progesterone; D016685:Mitomycin; C023359:iproplatin; D014747:Vinblastine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D016190:Carboplatin; D008727:Methotrexate