Quality of Life in Adult Cancer Survivors (QLACS)
A multidimensional self-report measure designed to evaluate the quality of life of long-term cancer survivors across generic and cancer-specific domains.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Quality of Life in Adult Cancer Survivors (QLACS) was developed by Avis, N. E., Smith, K. W., McGraw, S., Smith, R. G., Petronis, V. M., & Carver, C. S. (2005). It is designed to measure Quality of Life in Cancer Survivors. The scale is intended for use with Adult cancer survivors (5+ years post-diagnosis).
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 47 items organized into 13 factors/subscales: Negative feelings, Positive feelings, Cognitive Problems, Pain, Sexual Interest, Energy/Fatigue, Sexual Function, Social Avoidance, Financial Problems, Benefits, Distress-Family, Appearance, Distress-Recurrence.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Negative feelings | 7,9,19,24 | 4 |
| Positive feelings | 6,8,22,28 | 4 |
| Cognitive Problems | 2,3,4,23 | 4 |
| Pain | 13,17,21,27 | 4 |
| Sexual Interest | 16,26 | 2 |
| Energy/Fatigue | 1,5,11,14 | 4 |
| Sexual Function | 10,12 | 2 |
| Social Avoidance | 15,18,20,25 | 4 |
| Financial Problems | 30,37,43,45 | 4 |
| Benefits | 29,32,40,41 | 4 |
| Distress-Family | 31,34,42 | 3 |
| Appearance | 33,35,38,44 | 4 |
| Distress-Recurrence | 36,39,46,47 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never, 2 = Seldom, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = About as often as not, 5 = Frequently, 6 = Very often, 7 = Always.
The scale includes 1 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha >= .72 for all domains.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.