Quality of life--a review of the literature.

This review of the literature looks at the meaning of the concept 'quality of life', the use to which it has been put in various branches of medicine, its meaning in particular in cancer patients, especially those for whom there is no longer expectation of cure, and the instruments already developed for its measurement and their relevance to terminal care. The review concentrates mainly on patients with terminal malignant disease as the quality of life of other patients is a much broader issue.