title: Current applications of health-related quality-of-life assessment in oncology.
abstract: The past 5 years have seen increasing application of health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) assessment in oncology. Most commonly, HRQOL has been studied in patients with metastatic cancer and in trials involving the use of antiemetics to control postchemotherapy nausea and vomiting. These studies have produced interesting and, in some cases, counterintuitive results. Thus far, HRQOL assessment appears to be important in clinical trials involving control of symptoms (disease-related or treatment-related), cancers with a poor prognosis, treatment arms with similar survivals, supportive care interventions, and ways of determining prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Quality of Life Program, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Osoba
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology; D009325:Nausea / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011788:Quality of Life; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014839:Vomiting / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents