Nursing aspects of quality of life enhancement in cancer patients.

ABSTRACT

The evolution of cancer care from a focus on length of survival to quality of life is presented as a frame-work for the nurse's evolving role in the domain. Nurses have roles as clinicians, managers, researchers, teachers, and change agent/consultants and as such their impact on the specific factors affecting the quality of life of persons with cancer can be substantial. Patients are unique in their response to cancer and its treatment, as well as in their perspective as to what constitutes quality of life. The nurse's interventions must reflect and incorporate this uniqueness so that patients can be helped to live their lives fully and as they wish.