The aim of this study was to examine which domains of quality of life are most strongly affected in patients with newly diagnosed cancer, and to examine if quality of life was related to gender, age, educational level, cohabitation, time since diagnosis, treatment or type of cancer in these patients. Ferrans and Powers Quality of Life Index and the Cancer Rehabilitation Evaluation System, short form, were completed by 131 newly diagnosed Norwegian adult cancer patients. The patients had different cancer diagnoses, with breast cancer being the most common type. None of them were terminally ill, and 80% had been diagnosed within the last 6 months. The patients turned out to be satisfied with their lives, especially with the family and marital domains. They were least satisfied with health, functioning and sex life. Analyses of variance and multiple regression analysis were conducted to examine the impact on quality of life of cohabiting, age, gender, educational level, cancer diagnosis, treatment and time since diagnosis. Those cohabiting had significantly higher quality of life compared with those living alone. In contrast the younger group (19-39 years) living alone had significantly lower quality of life than the older groups living alone. Although age was only significantly associated with quality of life in one sub-scale, the elderly people reported their quality of life to be better in almost all sub-scales. Time since diagnosis was not associated with quality of life, while treatment was associated with quality of life as measured by Ferrans and Powers Quality of Life Index. Gender and educational level were only associated with one or two domains in quality of life, respectively.