Quality of life measurements in anti-emetic trials: a discussion of Professor Selby's paper.

Our unit has not investigated quality of life measurements specifically, and therefore I would like to make some general comments on the presentations by Professor Selby and Dr. Lindley. There are a number of influencing factors which affect the quality of life of cancer patients. An effective anti-emetic reduces nausea and vomiting and this could have an impact on patient well-being during the period of cytotoxic treatment. The question is, 'Do new, more effective anti-emetics improve the overall quality of life of cancer patients?' In order to show this we need to define very carefully the patient population under consideration.