Is function enough for fulfillment? Reconsidering quality of life (QOL) and well-being in cancer rehabilitation: a scoping review.

Abstract

This scoping review aimed to examine how speech-language-hearing therapy (SLHT) for cancer rehabilitation addresses quality of life (QOL) and subjective well-being. Particular attention was paid to whether existing outcome measures distinguish subjective well-being from functional recovery. A scoping review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR. Databases were searched from inception to January 2026. Studies were eligible if they included adult patients with cancer receiving SLHT-related rehabilitation. Outcome measures were reviewed to determine how QOL and subjective well-being were defined and assessed. Seven studies were included. All studies used QOL-related outcomes, but these were mainly based on functional domains such as swallowing, speech, voice, communication, or physical functioning. Psychosocial aspects were addressed only to a limited extent, and independent measures of subjective well-being, such as life satisfaction, meaning, or personal fulfillment, were rarely used. Overall, QOL was often treated as a proxy for functional recovery. In SLHT-related cancer rehabilitation, QOL and subjective well-being are not consistently distinguished. Future research should use outcome frameworks that capture functional recovery while also attending to patients' subjective experiences of meaningful recovery.