title: The perceived impact of cancer on quality of life for post-treatment survivors of childhood cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether childhood cancer survivors' perceptions of the impact of cancer are related to quality of life (QOL) and psychological distress.
  
  
  METHODS
  621 survivors (aged 18-39 years) completed a mailed survey assessing distress and QOL. Hierarchical linear regression models analyzed the independent effects of perceived impacts of cancer on distress and QOL and the extent to which positive and negative perceptions attenuated the effects of covariates on outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After accounting for perceptions of cancer's impact on their lives, employment/occupation status, marital/relationship status, and health problems were observed to be significant predictors of QOL and distress. Psychological distress and the mental health component of QOL appeared to be less influenced by sociodemographic status and health problems and more a function of how survivors perceive cancer as impacting their lives.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest that distress and QOL are partially a function of survivors' perceptions of how cancer has affected them and continues to affect them in both positive and negative ways. Future research is needed to examine combinations of pharmacological, psychological and/or social interventions that are likely to result in better outcomes in this population.
authors: University of Michigan School of Social Work, 1080 S University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106, USA. zebrack@umich.edu
authors: Brad J
authors: BJ
authors: Zebrack
authors: Wendy
authors: W
authors: Landier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012737:Sex Factors; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D013995:Time; D055815:Young Adult