Quality of life assessment during chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer

Quality of life was assessed by linear analogue scales for patients with non-small cell lung cancer participating in a phase I-II trial. Chemotherapy consisted of cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2 intravenously on day 1 and trimetrexate (five dose levels) intravenously on days 1-5, repeated every 21 days. Eleven subjective items were assessed by the patients. Nine of the scales related to performance, problems related to the disease itself and uncertainty about the value of treatment; two scales related to the major known side-effects of chemotherapy. Each patient completed the scales before treatment, on the last day of treatment (day 5) and once between cycles. Variation in the scores for items (e.g. for nausea or appetite) suggests that the method was useful in estimating the patient's perceived quality of life during repeated cycles of chemotherapy. Compliance was good and the method was easily accepted by both patients and nurses as part of a routine.