Quality of Life in Survivors of Gynecologic Cancer

Quality of Life of Gynecologic Cancer Survivors

RATIONALE: Quality-of-life assessment in cancer survivors may help determine the long-term effects of having had gynecologic cancer and may help improve the quality of life for future cancer survivors.

PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying the quality of life in survivors of gynecologic cancer.

OBJECTIVES:

• Describe the significant quality of life (QOL) concerns and long term survivorship issues of women diagnosed and treated for early stage ovarian and endometrial cancer five or more years ago.
• Identify mechanisms which contribute to a gynecologic cancer survivorship model through comparison and prediction of high versus low QOL associated with long term adjustment and survivorship. Examine social support, coping efforts, self-efficacy, meaning associated with survivorship, performance status, and age at diagnosis as potential predictors.
• Identify and compare factors that predict high versus low QOL for women with early stage endometrial cancer completing participation in GOG-99 clinical trial. Conduct exploratory analysis examining long term QOL concerns of survivors randomized to surgery arm with or without radiotherapy.

OUTLINE: Patients complete one telephone interview with a professional female interviewer. The interview lasts approximately 60 minutes and is audiotaped.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 197 early stage endometrial cancer survivors and 114 early stage ovarian cancer survivors will be accrued for this study within 2 years.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed early stage ovarian and endometrial cancer survivors treated and diagnosed five or more years ago
• Patients completing treatment in GOG-95 or GOG-99 protocols at least 5 years ago with no recurrence of disease
• Patients with secondary malignancy or under treatment for other medical conditions are eligible

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• Not specified

Performance status:

• Not specified

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Not specified

Hepatic:

• Not specified

Renal:

• Not specified

Other:

• Must be capable of completing telephone interview in English

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• See Disease Characteristics

Chemotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics

Endocrine therapy:

• See Disease Characteristics

Radiotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics

Surgery:

• See Disease Characteristics