Assessment of quality of life and symptom improvement in lung cancer clinical trials.

The majority of lung cancers are diagnosed at advanced stages when treatment options are limited and mainly palliative. In advanced lung cancer, quality-of-life (QOL) issues have become an integral part of making decisions about various treatment options. Recent clinical trials in patients with lung cancer have assessed symptom improvement and QOL as important endpoints. There are several valid and reliable QOL assessment instruments that specifically evaluate symptoms of lung cancer. These questionnaires evaluate a variety of factors related to emotional, physical, and social well-being. Several key factors, including age, gender, comorbidities, and quality of supportive care may affect symptoms and QOL in patients with lung cancer. Overall, QOL is important for patients with advanced lung cancer; therefore, symptom and QOL assessments are becoming vital in evaluating the efficacy of emerging cancer treatments.