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Abstract Background Quality of life (QoL) measurements are important in evaluating cancer treatment outcomes. Factors other than cancer and its treatment may have significant effects on QoL and affect assessment of treatments. Baseline data from longitudinal studies of women with endometrial or ovarian cancer or adnexal mass determined at surgery to be benign were analyzed to determine the degree to which QoL is affected by baseline differences in demographic variables and health. Methods This study examined the effect of independent variables on domains of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT-G) pre-operatively in gynecologic oncology patients undergoing surgery for pelvic mass suspected to be malignant or endometrial cancer. Patients also completed the Short Form Medical Outcomes Survey (SF-36) questionnaire (a generic health questionnaire that measures physical and mental health). Independent variables were surgical diagnosis (ovarian or endometrial cancer, benign mass), age, body mass index (BMI), educational level, marital status, smoking status, physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) summary scores of the SF-36. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the influence of these variables on FACT-G domain scores (physical, functional, social and emotional well-being). Results Data were collected on 157 women at their pre-operative visit (33 ovarian cancer, 45 endometrial cancer, 79 determined at surgery to be benign). Mean scores on the FACT-G subscales and SF-36 summary scores did not differ as a function of surgical diagnosis. PCS, MCS, age, and educational level were positively correlated with physical well-being, while increasing BMI was negatively correlated. Functional well-being was positively correlated with PCS and MCS and negatively correlated with BMI. Social well-being was positively correlated with MCS and negatively correlated with BMI and educational level. PCS, MCS and age were positively correlated with emotional well-being. Models that included PCS and MCS accounted for 30 to 44% of the variability in baseline physical, emotional, and functional well-being on the FACT-G. Conclusion At the time of diagnosis and treatment, patients' QoL is affected by inherent characteristics. Assessment of treatment outcome should take into account the effect of these independent variables. As treatment options become more complex, these variables are likely to be of increasing importance in evaluating treatment effects on QoL.

Abstract Background Longitudinal assessments of quality of life are needed to measure changes over the course of a disease and treatment. Computer versions of quality of life instruments have increased the feasibility of obtaining longitudinal measurements. However, there remain occasions when patients are not able to complete these questionnaires. This study examined whether changes measured using a computer version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – General (FACT-G) on two occasions would be obtained if patients completed a paper version on one of the two occasions. Methods Gynecologic oncology patients completed a computer version of the FACT-G pre-operatively and at six months. Patients were given the option of using the paper version instead of the computer at either time point. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used. Results One hundred nineteen patients completed the FACT-G at both time points. Seventy-one (60%) patients used the computer at both visits, 26 (21.8%) used the computer followed by the paper version, 17 (14.3%) used the paper version followed by the computer version, and five patients (4.2%) used the paper version at both visits. Significant effects over time were obtained in the physical, functional, and emotional well-being domains, and in total scores, but there were no effects of method of administration of the questionnaires and no interaction between method of administration and changes over time. Conclusions These data indicate that women are responding to the content of the questionnaire and not method of data collection. Although using the same method of administration of instruments over time is desirable, using alternate methods is preferable to forgoing data collection entirely. Large scale studies should be conducted to determine if the multiple methods of data collection that are becoming increasingly available are producing interchangeable information.