Quality of life and supportive care in the treatment of NSCLC.

Abstract

The definition of quality of life (QOL) for individual patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unclear and its evaluation difficult because of the heterogeneity of the patients involved. More research is needed to determine the best means of routinely expressing and comparing QOL assessments and implementing the results of these studies into daily patient care. The role of broad supportive care in optimizing patient comfort and functionality is also an important issue. Because it incorporates not only specific palliative treatment, but also nontumor-specific measures and medical intervention, supportive care is relevant to all patients with NSCLC, whether terminally ill or suffering treatment-related toxic reactions. More education, research, and financial support are needed to optimize QOL and supportive care of patients.