should offer a means of evaluating the effect of the illness

and treatment on psychosocial variables that appear to be

related to longer or shorter survival.

 2. The evidence from related literature that emotional

expression and the attitude about the illness are correlated

with survival should not be interpreted as suggesting a

causal relationship.

 3. The relationship between variables that reflect the

degree of illness and psychosocial status should be studied

further.

 4. Specifically, the importance of co-morbidity in the

experience of elderly terminal cancer patients should be

thoroughly explored with a large sample and with measurement

of the variable in a way that suggests the meaning of the

relationship more clearly. An evaluation of the health

history of the patients in terms of pre-existing and

concurrent disease and disability is recommended.

 5. The relationship between the duration of the

illness from cancer and psychosocial status should also be

investigated. In particular, the evaluation of the treat-

ment experience of the patients should be refined to include

quantitative information as noted above.

 6. It is also recommended that information on the

psychosocial status of cancer patients be compared to the

patients' closeness to death as a simple means of