Quality of life research is a priority at Mayo, says Jeff Sloan, Ph.D., a cancer researcher at Mayo and the studys primary investigator. While doctors know that a patients quality of life is important, these studies show that measuring it is necessary and can predict how patients will do.
Dr. Sloan, Tan and their colleagues at Mayo Clinic and NCCTG hope current and future research will identify both how and when clinicians can best support their patients feelings of well-being. For example, if the quality of life deficit was identified to be related to patient fatigue and emotional distress, interventions (pharmaceutical, psychosocial, etc.) could be offered to improve patient well-being.
If quality of life deficits can be identified routinely in clinical practice, it will help patients, says Tan. Physicians can address the issues leading to a decrease in quality of life, and ideally these interventions will extend survival.
Other researchers included Paul Novotny; Judith Kaur, M.D.; and Jan Buckner, M.D., all from Mayo Clinic. NCCTG researchers included Paul Schaefer, M.D., Toledo Community Hospital Oncology Program, Toledo, Ohio; Philip Stella, M.D., St. Joseph Mercy Health System, Ann Arbor, Mich.; and John Kuebler, M.D., Columbus Community Clinical Oncology Program, Columbus, Ohio.
Related quality of life studies being presented at ASCO include:
Baseline quality of life is a strong prognostic factor for overall survival in patients with advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer, Schild et al.
A quality-of-life assessment of patients participating in phase I clinical trials confirms a decrease during treatment, Atherton et al.
Baseline quality of life is a strong and performance status-independent prognostic factor for overall survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, Turja et al.
Tumor burden is not related to qualit
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| Contact: Traci Klein newsbureau@mayo.edu 507-284-5005 Mayo Clinic Source:Eurekalert |