Measuring patient symptoms and other aspects of health-related quality of life

With increased rates of survival for cancer, there is an increasing focus on the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of patients. An individual who has undergone treatment for cancer may experience improved HRQL across several domains, or a more mixed, symptomatic recovery. Because of the numerous physical, mental, and social changes that cancer survivors may experience years following their treatment, ongoing HRQL assessment should be considered. Formal, systematic assessment of patients can serve as a useful gauge of treatment success, assist in the identification of long-term complications that should continue to be monitored by medical personnel, or identify potential teaching and learning moments where health promotion interventions could be implemented (1,2).