Quality of Life in Cancer Survivorship: 20 Years Later
Section snippets
Cancer Survivorship Research
Changes in public views about cancer survivorship, growth of advocacy organizations, and additional Federal and National initiatives were the vital context for advancing QOL science in cancer survivorship. Thus, in the past 20 years, we have seen cancer survivorship research move from a focus on physical, psychosocial, and economic sequelae during treatment to QOL changes after treatment ends.
Measurement of QOL in Cancer Survivors
The measurement of QOL in cancer has been an area of study for several decades.55, 56 Measures used to examine QOL in cancer survivors most often were either general health or health-related QOL. The general health-related measurements included: the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC),57 Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT-G),58 Functional Living Index-Cancer (FLIC),59 and the Cancer Rehabilitation Evaluation System (CARES).60 However, while these QOL
QOL Assessment and Measurement in Cancer Survivorship Clinics
Cancer survivorship clinics were practically non-existent 20 years ago. Such clinics first started with pediatric cancer survivors and later developed with adult cancer survivors. Advocacy groups such as Lance Armstrong Foundation helped support the development of adult cancer survivorship programs. A key 2006 report from the National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Centers showed that 29 of the 65 comprehensive cancer centers have active survivorship programs focusing on a combination of
Future Considerations
What are future considerations for QOL measurement and cancer survivorship research? First, QOL measures that capture changes in QOL during post-treatment survivorship is critical. There is great need to descriptively document QOL over time with long-term adult cancer survivors (more than 20 years). Longitudinal descriptive studies may also pave the way for future QOL tool development to assess long-term survivors. Cancer survivorship research continues to evolve, with the refocus of efforts on
Conclusion
Oncology nurses have maintained a leading role in cancer survivorship practice, research, and education, and have taken the lead in early and ongoing documentation of clinical needs facing cancer survivors and their families. Oncology nurses have been the cornerstone in the development and implementation of cancer survivorship clinics and have participated in cancer survivorship advocacy efforts. With a look forward into the next 20 years, oncology nurses can move QOL science in cancer
Karen Meneses, PhD, RN, FAAN: Professor, Associate Dean for Research, School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham.
References (74)
Quality of life: conceptual issues
Semin Oncol Nurs
(1990)- et al.
Exploratory factor analysis of the Cancer Problems in Living Scale: a report from the American Cancer Society's Studies of Cancer Survivors
J Pain Symptom Manage
(2009) - National Cancer Institute. Estimated US Cancer Prevalence Counts. Available at:...
- et al.
The existential plight in cancer: significance of the first 100 days
Int J Psychiatry Med
(1976) Research highlights. Nursing Research Unit at the Royal Marsden Hospital. Mastectomy–quality of survival
Cancer Nurs
(1978)Cancer survivorship: a topic for nursing research
Oncol Nurs Forum
(1989)- et al.
Surviving adult cancers. Part 1: Physiologic effects
Ann Intern Med
(1989) The impact of breast cancer on patients and husbands
Cancer Nurs
(1989)Nursing aspects of quality of life enhancement in cancer patients
Oncology (Williston Park)
(1990)The enduring seasons in survival
Oncol Nurs Forum
(1990)
The growing phenomenon of cancer survivorship
J Prof Nurs
Myths, monsters, and magic: personal perspectives and professional challenges of survival
Oncol Nurs Forum
Long-term survivors of breast cancer. A qualitative descriptive study
Cancer Nurs
Quality of life: perceptions of long-term survivors of bone marrow transplantation
Oncol Nurs Forum
Breast cancer survivors: an exploration of quality of life issues
Cancer Nurs
Having children after breast cancer
Cancer Pract
Pregnancy after breast-conserving surgery and radiation therapy for breast cancer
J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr
Coping strategies of long-term cancer survivors
Cancer Nurs
Breast cancer survivors: concerns and coping
Cancer Nurs
Quality of life through the eyes of survivors of breast cancer
Oncol Nurs Forum
Quality of life of long-term adult survivors of autologous bone marrow transplantation
Oncol Nurs Forum
Attentional fatigue following breast cancer surgery
Res Nurs Health
Development of an intervention to restore attention in cancer patients
Cancer Nurs
Menopausal symptoms in breast cancer survivors
Oncol Nurs Forum
Women's experiences of lymphedema
Oncol Nurs Forum
Psychological and sexual well-being, philosophical/spiritual views, and health habits of long-term cancer survivors
Health Care Women Int
Preliminary testing of the Long-Term Quality of Life (LTQL) instrument for female cancer survivors
J Nurs Meas
Measurement of the quality of life in cancer survivors
Qual Life Res
Information needs and sources of information for women with breast cancer: a follow-up study
J Adv Nurs
Surviving cancer: a review of the impact and consequences
Nurs Stand
Cancer and beyond: the question of survivorship
J Adv Nurs
Balancing demands of cancer surveillance among survivors of thyroid cancer
Cancer Pract
Quality of life in breast cancer survivors as identified by focus groups
Psychooncology
Quality of life in breast cancer survivors: implications for developing support services
Oncol Nurs Forum
Breast cancer treatment-related patterns in side effects, psychological distress, and perceived health status
Oncol Nurs Forum
“Coming to grips” with chemotherapy-induced premature menopause
Health Care Women Int
Attention and symptom distress in women with and without breast cancer
Nurs Res
Cited by (17)
Use of non-conventional therapies in a cohort of women with breast cancer (DAMA cohort) in Barcelona (Spain). A mixed-methods study
2020, European Journal of Integrative MedicineCitation Excerpt :Nevertheless, breast cancer has a high survival rate (about 85.2 %) [15], making life after breast cancer a crucial health issue. Patients’ quality of life often decreases after they recover from breast cancer, in both physical and psychological terms [16,17]. Clinicians and researchers are now paying attention to the side effects and toxicities resulting from anti-neoplastic treatments (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, hormone therapy, etc.), which affect quality of life and produce complications that still require attention in the medium and long term [18]
Social inequalities in quality of life in a cohort of women diagnosed with breast cancer in Barcelona (DAMA Cohort)
2018, Cancer EpidemiologyCitation Excerpt :Studies in cancer survivors have shown that their needs in relation to QoL can increase during the post-treatment period, becoming more patent in the medium and long term [7]. Traditionally, QoL has been conceived as a dual element comprising physical and emotional aspects [8]. New trends and needs in the population have lead to the emergence of new conceptual approaches that incorporate new elements to be considered.
Survivorship
2016, Oncology Informatics: Using Health Information Technology to Improve Processes and Outcomes in CancerThe transition experience to breast cancer survivorship
2015, Seminars in Oncology NursingCitation Excerpt :Self-efficacy, the confidence in one's ability, is a moderator of self-management39; increasing self-efficacy may help BCS cope with managing symptoms and survivorship (see Fig. 1).40 Interventions for BCS that have integrated cognitive behavioral strategies to promote self-management have resulted in improved physical and emotional outcomes and better QOL.41 Most of those interventions were delivered by telephone, face to face, or combined with print materials.
Meeting Survivors' Unmet Needs: An Integrated Framework for Survivor and Palliative Care
2010, Seminars in Oncology NursingCitation Excerpt :Upward of 60% of survivors are 65 years or older, which confers overarching health risks of by virtue of age. These age-related risks include hypertension, stroke, myocardial infarction, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and a number of other conditions that may reduce lifespan or quality of life.14,15 Given these risks, older cancer survivors are more likely to experience physical than psychological problems.16
Information Needs of Asian American Breast Cancer Survivors: a Decision Tree Analysis
2022, Journal of Cancer Education
Karen Meneses, PhD, RN, FAAN: Professor, Associate Dean for Research, School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Rachel Benz, BSN, RN: Research Assistant, Rural Breast Cancer Survivor Study (RBCS), Center for Nursing Research, School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham.