Patient-oriented outcome measures in brain tumor patients: catching up after a slow start.

摘要

Outcome measures in clinical trials for brain tumor patients have traditionally been confined to survival (i.e., overall and progression-free survival) and radiological response to treatment. For cancer patients, the recognition that duration of survival may not be the only goal of treatment has resulted in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) becoming an important (secondary) outcome. It is generally acknowledged that the benefits of longer survival due to tumor treatment should be weighed against side effects of treatment, which may have a negative impact on the patient's functioning in physical, psychological and social aspects.