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Purpose Understanding the quality of life (QoL) of cancer survivors is relevant to both clinical practice and health care policy. The current study compared the QoL profile in this specific population with that of a normative sample for the general population, as well as with those of both healthy and oncological patients normative sub-samples. In addition, associations between the obtained QoL profile and the main socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of the sample were examined. Methods Three hundred and ninety-two adult long-term cancer survivors (i.e., people 5 + years from their cancer diagnosis who were free from it and its treatments) were enrolled during follow-up visits and compiled the Short Form 36 Health Survey. Results In comparison with the normative data for the adult general population, the present sample showed lower scores in Physical functioning, Role-physical limitation, and Roleemotional limitations (all differences were both statistically and clinically significant); the difference in Vitality was only statistically significant. In all eight SF-36 scales, scores of the present sample were clinically and statistically lower than those of the normative healthy subsample, whereas they were statistically and clinically higher than those of normative subsample which had experienced cancer, except for Rolephysical limitation. The QoL profile was associated with gender (p = 0.002), age (p = 0.001), education (p < 0.001), occupational status (p < 0.001), and the presence of other health issues (p < 0.001). Conclusion These data support the utility of rehabilitative programs which integrate both healthcare and social interventions. In addition, they encourage the monitoring of the health status of this specific population, within a broad frame which simultaneously takes into consideration health and QoL.

Introduction The well‐being and quality of life (QoL) of long‐term cancer survivors may be affected, both positively and negatively, by psychosocial factors related to the experience of being a cancer patient. We investigated whether, in long‐term cancer survivors, the psychosocial impacts of cancer associate with socio‐demographic–clinical variables; whether, within the positive and negative dimensions taken separately, some impacts are more intense than others; and whether these impacts explain QoL. Methods Italian long‐term cancer survivors (n = 500) completed the Impact of Cancer (IOC‐V2) and Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF‐36) questionnaires. Results The IOC‐V2 negative impact score associated with gender, education, occupational status and health issues, whereas no association was found between the positive impact score and socio‐demographic–clinical variables. Of the positive impacts, Altruism/Empathy was the highest (p < 0.001); Positive self‐evaluation was higher than Health awareness (p = 0.001); and Meaning of cancer was the lowest (p < 0.001). Among the negative impacts, Worry was the highest (p < 0.001), whereas Body changes concerns was higher than both Appearance concerns (p < 0.001) and Life Interferences (p < 0.001). The assessed impacts explained more than 25% of the variance of both physical and mental functioning scores. Conclusions The provided data document psychosocial factors affecting QoL in Italian long‐term cancer survivors.