title: Symptom assessment.
abstract: Medical intervention aims to eliminate disease, to mitigate disease effect, and maximize quality of life. Throughout the course of illness, accurate symptom assessment is imperative if these goals are to be achieved. Symptom scales may facilitate this process in the clinical setting. Many valid scales are available for research, and investigators must be familiar with a methodology that can quantify the impact of therapies on symptoms, symptom distress, and overall QOL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ingham
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Portenoy
mesh_terms: D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index