Exploring "good days" with advanced cancer: A pilot daily diary study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Psychosocial Oncology
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Stage IV cancer presents significant physical and emotional challenges, affecting patients' quality of life.
• Conventional quality of life assessments often fail to capture the daily variations in well-being experienced by these patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the concept of a "good day" for individuals with advanced cancer using daily diaries.
• To identify activities associated with better daily experiences and their correlation with established quality of life measures.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving 20 participants with Stage IV cancer.
• Daily diary entries were collected via a mobile app over 14 days, rating daily "goodness" and documenting activities.
• Statistical analysis correlated daily "goodness" with baseline Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) scores.

Main Results:

• Daily "goodness" ratings showed significant within-person variability.
• Higher "goodness" was associated with the PROMIS domain of Ability to Participate in Social Roles/Activities.
• Leisure activities correlated with better days, while symptom management was linked to worse days.

Conclusions:

• Understanding daily quality of life fluctuations is crucial for individuals with advanced cancer.
• Further research should focus on longitudinal assessments and personalized supportive/palliative care interventions.