title: Quality of life, appetite, and weight change in patients receiving dose-intensive chemotherapy.
abstract: Quality of life was assessed by self-report questionnaires in 30 patients receiving dose-intensive chemotherapy for either non-small-cell lung cancer (20 patients) or recurrent head and neck cancer (10 patients). Megestrol acetate was given daily to try to improve appetite and prevent the weight loss usually associated with this chemotherapy. Appetite did not change significantly overall during the first 4 weeks of chemotherapy, but it did improve in those patients still receiving chemotherapy at 8 weeks. Changes in global quality of life were significantly correlated with changes in appetite, fatigue, energy level, and physical function. Thus, these parameters may have more relevance to patients' perceptions of quality of life than does weight change, and should be used more frequently as endpoints in studies of supportive care and palliative treatment of patients with cancer.
authors.affiliation: British Columbia Cancer Agency Vancouver Clinic, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Osoba
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gelmon
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karsai
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knowling
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fetherstonhaugh
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bowman
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001066:Appetite / Q000187:drug effects*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008535:Megestrol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D008535:Megestrol