Cancer clinical trial policy review demands focus on quality of life

A new policy review published in The Lancet Oncology calls for quality of life (QoL) data to play a more central role in clinical trials for adjuvant cancer treatments. The review, led by Common Sense Oncology and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer, argues that current trial reports often focus too heavily on survival rates and recurrence while neglecting the patient experience.

Adjuvant therapies are administered after primary treatments, such as surgery, to reduce the risk of cancer returning. Because these treatments can cause long-term side effects like fatigue or neuropathy, the review suggests that clinicians and patients need better data to balance potential survival benefits against the impact on daily functioning.

The authors recommend that trial reports include the proportion of patients experiencing clinically meaningful deterioration in QoL and the duration of such effects. They also advocate for the use of validated patient-reported outcome measures rather than relying solely on clinician-reported toxicity, ensuring that symptoms and overall well-being are captured directly from the patients.