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“To the clinician and the biologist the preservation of functions that
are essential to life would seem of paramount importance. But to
the patient, the obligation to live a long and painful existence may
be worse than death itself. The economic consequence of being
unable to work, and even more, being utterly dependent on others
for day to day activities like feeding, dressing and washing are not
easy for a third person to appreciate
. Similarly facial disfigurement
and anal or bladder incontinence may impose such social
consequences on the patient that may become effectively
housebound even though their other vital organs function, motor
activities and pain threshold are virtually unimpaired.”
Pavy et al., Late effects toxicity scoring: the SOMA scale. Radiother Oncol.
1995; 35:11-15