PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 16 and over Performance status: ECOG 0-3 Life expectancy: Greater than 3 months Hematopoietic: Not specified Hepatic: Not specified Renal: Not specified Other: Fluent in English or French No loss of sight or other inability to complete questionnaires or diary Not pregnant No concurrent terminal illness No other active malignancy that is causing symptoms or is expected to progress in the next 3 months