Identifying Patient-Relevant Outcomes In Metastatic Prostate Cancer

Main Category: Prostate / Prostate Cancer
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 11 Mar 2010 - 4:00 PDT


While subjective patient-reported outcomes, such as scores from health-status questionnaires, have become an integral part of clinical trials, there is also a need to identify what specific outcomes are the most important ones to target in a given disease context.

The objective of this study was to develop a framework of patient-relevant outcome issues in men being treated for metastatic, hormone-refractory prostate cancer in order to enhance and support the clarity of measurement in this population. The study was conducted by David Eton (Mayo Clinic), Daniel Shevrin (NorthShore University HealthSystem), Jennifer Beaumont, David Victorson, and David Cella (Northwestern University).

The authors developed a conceptual framework featuring symptoms of disease, side-effects of treatment, psychological concerns, and general aspects of well being based on interviews with patients, surveys of providers, and analyses of a prior clinical trial. Such frameworks are critical as they can assist investigators in selecting the most appropriate outcomes to measure in a given study.

Complete details of this study are available in a forthcoming issue of Value in Health, the official journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research.

Says Dr. David Cella, the head of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, "The patient's perspective on the impact of prostate cancer and its treatment on quality of life have always been paramount. Now, with research like this, we can more accurately and meaningfully understand this impact in its many forms. As with many chronic conditions, it is difficult to separate disease from treatment effects, and yet this separation is critical when trying to determine the overall value of any therapy."

Value in Health (ISSN 1098-3015) publishes papers, concepts, and ideas that advance the field of pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research and help health care leaders to make decisions that are solidly evidence-based. The journal is published bi-monthly and has a regular readership of over 5,000 clinicians, decision-makers, and researchers worldwide.

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ISPOR

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