Quality of Life of Long-Term Survivors of Leukemia and Lymphoma

Abstract

This study examined quality of life among long-term survivors of leukemia and lymphoma. Analyses of data collected from a standardized instrument designed specifically for cancer survivors and from in-depth face-to-face interviews suggest that long-term survivors experience positive outcomes as a result of their cancer experience along with long-term physical and psychosocial sequelae. The author concludes that quality-of-life outcomes partially may be a function of the cognitive frame or meaning that survivors attribute to their experience. Ensuring adequate care and attention to the needs of long-term survivors requires an understanding of the effects of disease on quality of life as well as the varied ways in which long-term survivors adapt and live the remainder of their lives.

Key Words:

• Quality of life
• lymphoma
• leukemia
• survivors