title: Self-reported satisfaction with life and physical health in long-term cancer survivors and a matched control group.
abstract: The response to two validated questions assessing self-reported satisfaction with life and physical health were compared between 204 long-term head and neck cancer survivors from a randomised radiotherapy trial and 766 matched controls. The control group, participants in a large population health survey in a county in the middle of Norway, was matched to the patients with regard to age, gender, marital status/family type and education. Compared with the controls, the patients reported significantly lower satisfaction with life and physical health. Sixty-four per cent of the patients were satisfied with life and 44% felt strong and healthy while the percentages of the controls were 82% and 52%, respectively. Clinical and sociodemographic variables were poor predictors of the patients' responses. Clinicians must be aware of the psychosocial morbidity in the growing population of cured cancer patients, and intervention studies are needed in patients at risk, in order to determine whether this morbidity can be prevented, reduced, or treated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology and Radiotherapy, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Montebello, Norway.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bjordal
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mastekaasa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaasa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors