Pneumologie
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Lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often occur concomitantly. Whilst there are several questionnaires relating to COPD that have been translated into German (CCOPDQ, CRQ, SGRQ) there is a need for a short instrument measuring the impact of the concomitant diseases or intervention on a patient's Quality of Life specifically in German language. As there is to date no genuine German questionnaire neither in general, nor in detail for both, lung cancer and the often concomitant COPD, we created and tested an appropriate single instrument. ⋯ We conclude that SAQOL is an easy to handle questionnaire, which shows on the one hand good correlation to the tumour-related domains of the broadly investigated and reliable QLQ C30, and on the other hand to the long-term used and valid lung specific generic Nottingham Health Profile in COPD. The important influence COPD in quality of life impact highlights the need for an organ specific questionnaire for both, lung cancer and obstructive airway disease. This important factor for quality of life alteration seems to be underestimated in other generic questionnaires or it needs the issue of at least two different and more time consuming instruments for adequate assessment. Additionally a high degree of quality of life impaction was linked to a short survival in our study patients with advanced lung cancer.