Quality of life during chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer: assessment and use of a daily diary card in a randomized trial

Abstract

Fifty-three patients who were taking part in a randomized trial of chemotherapy in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) were entered into a study of quality of life measurement using a daily diary card. Patients received either four or eight cycles of initial chemotherapy and daily records were scored, using a four point scale of nausea, sickness, appetite, sleep, mood, pain, activity and general well being. Two hundred and fifty-six of a possible 379 cards were returned (68% compliance). The first 31 patients took part in an assessment of the diary card where comparison was made with nurse ratings using the card, the EORTC questionnaire and the Spitzer quality of life index. These comparisons showed appropriate convergent and divergent validity and demonstrated the sensitivity of the diary card to short term changes compared with the other measures. In the randomized trial the diary card demonstrated a worsening of sickness and related variables as treatment continued. This spilled over into mood and general well being although physical variables of pain, sleep and activity were largely unaffected. Prophylactic cranial irradiation was associated with a transient increase in sickness and vomiting. The study shows that the diary card is an instrument sensitive to short term changes in quality of life and thus especially useful for comparing effects during the period of treatment.