Evaluating the impact of radiotherapy on the quality of life of cancer patients by two simple indexes. A pilot study.

The subjective chemotherapy impact (SCI) test has been widely used to evaluate the quality of life in patients receiving chemotherapy. In this study we have tested the SCI questionnaire as an index of the impact of radiotherapy on quality of life. A group of 25 consecutive cancer patients treated with radiotherapy in our centre were tested. In the first item patients were asked to state the number of days they spent with "discomfort". The second item asked them which days they would like to eliminate altogether because of the unbearable symptoms experienced. SCI questions were asked by the same physician before the start of radiotherapy, at the mid point, at the end and 4 months later. A preliminary assessment of validity and reliability of these two indexes provided satisfactory results; data allowed a clear and discriminating differentiation between patients treated with palliative curative radiotherapy and patients who received "adjuvant" treatment (radiotherapy worsened the quality of life in the latter group).