Patient-reported outcomes in cancer survivorship.

BACKGROUND: There are currently 33 million cancer survivors worldwide. With improvements in early cancer detection and treatments, patients are living longer - and it is well-recognized that many survivors develop short- and long-term physical, psychosocial and spiritual effects as a result of their diagnoses and treatments. There is increasing awareness of the importance of using patient-reported outcomes (PROs) to accurately assess these effects in cancer survivors. Validated patient-reported outcome instruments: Traditionally, physicians have assessed the acute and late side effects of cancer treatments with standardized scales such as the CTCAE. However, multiple studies have demonstrated that PROs more accurately capture patient symptoms than physician assessment. In this article we describe frequently used, validated, general and cancer-specific PRO instruments that assess symptoms. We describe additional PRO instruments that assess unmet needs, interpersonal relationship issues, and psychosocial and financial problems. Published studies using these instruments have identified issues commonly faced by cancer survivors worldwide. Discussion and summary: While PROs are increasingly used in research, further efforts are needed to integrate PRO assessment into routine clinical care, so that timely and accurate assessments can translate into better management of issues - ultimately improving the lives of cancer survivors.