Quality of life assessment of patients in extremity sarcoma clinical trials.

Twenty-six patients with soft tissue sarcoma who participated in a randomized controlled clinical trial were studied to compare the impact of treatments on quality of life. Patients were treated with amputation plus chemotherapy or with limb-sparing surgery plus radiation therapy plus chemotherapy. After completion of treatments, when the patients' physical status had stabilized, a "Quality of Life Assessment" was administered. It consisted of the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale, the Sickness Impact Profile, the Barthel Function Scale, the Katz Activities of Daily Living Scale, nd an economic assessment. In addition, clinical assessments of mobility, pain, sexual relationships, and treatment trauma were obtained. Analysis of these assessments indicated that our hypothesis that limb-sparing surgery plus irradiation would provide improved quality of life when compared to amputation was not substantiated.