ABSTRACT
With increased rates of survival for cancer, there is an increasing focus on the
health-related quality of life (HRQL) of patients. An individual who has
undergone treatment for cancer may experience improved HRQL across several
domains, or a more mixed, symptomatic recovery. Because of the numerous
physical, mental, and social changes that cancer survivors may experience years
following their treatment, ongoing HRQL assessment should be considered.
Formal, systematic assessment of patients can serve as a useful gauge of treat-
ment success, assist in the identification of long-term complications that should
continue to be monitored by medical personnel, or identify potential teaching
and learning moments where health promotion interventions could be imple-
mented (1,2).
