identifying variability in psychosocial status that may be

accounted for by the degree of illness.

Methods of psychosocial analysis

 The recommendations regarding the methods of analysis

are:

 1. Interview schedules developed for use with terminal

cancer patients should not be lengthy and should be designed

for reliable administration over a series of sessions with

patients who tire easily.

 2. It is recommended that rating scales used to eval-

uate the psychosocial status of terminal cancer patients be

calibrated to discriminate between important differences in

certain moods and attitudes. Psychosocial evaluation should

also include a more thorough evaluation of hopelessness and

depression, one that permits study of the relationship

between physical factors and these psychosocial

characteristics.

 3. Adequate study of the relationship between social

 support and the survival of cancer patients clearly requires

 more thorough evaluation of social involvement and inter-

 personal relationships. However, because there is little

 evidence of such a relationship and more evidence that

 medical and disease variables account for the variability in

 survival of cancer patients, further study of this relation-

 ship does not have a high priority in terms of theoretical

 or practical significance.