Severe symptoms and very low quality-of-life among outpatients newly diagnosed with advanced cancer: data from a multicenter cohort study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify symptoms of severe intensity or very low scores for quality of life (QoL) domains in newly diagnosed outpatients with advanced cancer.

Methods: This multicenter cohort study from a state-wide palliative care network included adult outpatients with advanced cancer diagnosed within the preceding 8 weeks from four comprehensive cancer centers (DRKS00006162, registered on 19 May 2014). We used the Palliative Outcome Scale (POS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QoL Questionnaire-C30.