Quality of Life in Adult Cancer Survivors – QLACS
A multidimensional self-report instrument designed to assess 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, Benefits, Financial Problems, 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 |
| Benefits | 29,32,40,41 | 4 |
| Financial Problems | 30,37,43,45 | 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.
Total scores range from 1 to 7. Interpretation guidelines:
- Subscale scores are typically calculated by summing or averaging the items within each specific domain. Higher scores indicate higher levels of the domain construct (e.g., higher distress, higher benefits, or better/worse functioning depending on the subscale direction).: 1 – 7
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.