Cancer Outcomes Research and the Arenas of Application

Abstract

In 2004, an estimated 1.5 million persons in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer; about 560 000 will die from cancer; and more than 9.5 million will be undergoing curative treatment, coping with progressive disease, or living free of cancer after successful therapy (1). But many of these survivors still feel the aftershocks and downstream side effects arising from diagnosis and treatment, and many are fearful of recurrence. Substantial progress in reducing the suffering and death caused by cancer is being pursued by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and cancer agencies and organizations worldwide through a variety of initiatives, programs, and projects. At the NCI, these efforts emphasize the joint importance of basic and applied scientific discovery, the development and testing of promising interventions, and the delivery of quality care to prevent, detect, and treat cancer and to improve the length and quality of life of cancer survivors (2). It is therefore vital for decision makers, at all levels, to have a firm understanding of just how effectively the fruits of discovery and development are being applied to enhance cancer care delivery in ways that reduce suffering and death. The scientific pursuit of such decision-relevant information is the central business of cancer outcomes research. The overall aim of this Monograph is to provide an empirically grounded review and evaluation of the peer-reviewed literature in cancer outcomes research. The intent is to identify both important recent contributions and the challenges that remain in bringing scientifically sound information to bear in cancer care decision making. DEFINING CANCER OUTCOMES RESEARCH