What symptom and functional dimensions can be predictors for global ratings of overall quality of life in lung cancer patients?
OBJECTIVE
This study explores what dimensions of a health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaire predict global ratings of overall quality of life (QOL) in lung cancer patients in assessments by patients and significant others, respectively.


METHODS
The analyses were based on dyadic assessments from lung cancer patients and their significant others. A subset of scales and items from the Swedish version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ C30 and the lung-cancer-specific module, LC-13, was selected. Using multiple regression procedures, the relative importance of different symptoms and of functional impairments in predicting overall QOL was examined.


RESULTS
The multiple regressions revealed that emotional functioning and fatigue were the only significant predictors of overall QOL for both the patients and the significant others' assessments. In addition, physical functioning was found to be another predictor in the significant others' assessments.


CONCLUSIONS
The results emphasize that it is essential to consider both emotional functioning and fatigue as important areas for overall QOL in lung cancer patients.
Ostlund
Ulrika
U
Division of Nursing, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, 23300, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden. ulrika.ostlund@ki.se
Wennman-Larsen
Agneta
A
Gustavsson
Petter
P
Wengström
Yvonne
Y
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D013548:Sweden