The purpose of this study was to explore the relation-

 ship between psychosocial variables and the survival of

 elderly cancer patients when important biological, disease,

 and medical variables are controlled. The focus was on the

 relationship between psychosocial variables and survival and

 on the extent to which the variability in survival could be

 explained by a set of psychosocial variables. The contri-

 bution of concurrent physical conditions other than cancer

 to the patients' survival was also considered.

 The significance of this study is related to the

methods that were used to identify and analyze the effects

of several kinds of variables on cancer patient survival.

Although research suggests that the survival of cancer

patients may be related to psychosocial variables, many

variables affect survival, including those related to the

disease and treatment. For this reason, careful

consideration must be given to the methods used to measure

the effects of complicated psychosocial variables. The

problems inherent in studying the effects of variables like

the will to live and the willingness to fight the disease

must be acknowledged and addressed.

 The appropriate interpretation of findings concerning

the relationship between psychosocial variables and survival

depends on how and to what extent these issues are addressed.

This study was designed to clarify the relationship between