02859nas a2200265   4500008004100000245006600041210006600107260000800173300000900181490000700190520208800197653002102285653002902306653003002335653001202365653001102377653001302388653003102401653001902432100001302451700001502464700001302479700001502492856008602507       2002                        eng d00aAdvances in quality of life measurements in oncology patients0 aAdvances in quality of life measurements in oncology patients  cJun  a60-80 v293 aAccurate assessment of the quality of life (QOL) of patients can provide important clinical information to physicians, especially in the area of oncology. Changes in QOL are important indicators of the impact of a new cytotoxic therapy, can affect a patient's willingness to continue treatment, and may aid in defining response in the absence of quantifiable endpoints such as tumor regression. Because QOL is becoming an increasingly important aspect in the management of patients with malignant disease, it is vital that the instruments used to measure QOL are reliable and accurate. Assessment of QOL involves a multidimensional approach that includes physical, functional, social, and emotional well-being, and the most comprehensive instruments measure at least three of these domains. Instruments to measure QOL can be generic (eg, the Nottingham Health Profile), targeted toward specific illnesses (eg, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Lung), or be a combination of generic and targeted. Two of the most widely used examples of the combination, or hybrid, instruments are the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 Items and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy. A consequence of the increasing international collaboration in clinical trials has been the growing necessity for instruments that are valid across languages and cultures. To assure the continuing reliability and validity of QOL instruments in this regard, item response theory can be applied. Techniques such as item response theory may be used in the future to construct QOL item banks containing large sets of validated questions that represent various levels of QOL domains. As QOL becomes increasingly important in understanding and approaching the overall management of cancer patients, the tools available to clinicians and researchers to assess QOL will continue to evolve. While the instruments currently available provide reliable and valid measurement, further improvements in precision and application are anticipated.10a*Quality of Life10a*Sickness Impact Profile10aCross-Cultural Comparison10aCulture10aHumans10aLanguage10aNeoplasms/*physiopathology10aQuestionnaires1 aCella, D1 aChang, C-H1 aLai, J S1 aWebster, K  uhttp://www.iacat.org/content/advances-quality-life-measurements-oncology-patients