Quality of life in prostatic cancer patients

As a first effort to introduce quality-of-life assessment in prostatic cancer clinical trials, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Genitourinary Group, in cooperation with European Organization for Research and Treatment Quality of Life Group, initiated protocol 30853, coordinated by Louis Denis. This protocol compared the efficacy of treatment with orchiectomy alone to that with Zoladex (Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, Alderley Macclesfield, Cheshire, UK) plus flutamide in previously untreated patients with metastatic cancer. The use of patient-administered quality-of-life questionnaires was optional, and of 327 patients, only 22% had pretreatment assessments. This trial revealed many clinician's considerable reluctance to perform quality of life research, partly because of feasibility problems and partly because of doctors' doubts about the value of such efforts. Psychologic distress, fatigue, issues of social and family life, and pain were found to be the most important concerns on a subjective basis, and this finding was confirmed by objective parameters. There was a discrepancy between doctors' evaluations and patients' opinions about subjective morbidity, namely sexual status and pain. Quality of life assessment should become a mandatory part of clinical trials in prostate cancer.