Why and How Should We Measure the Long-Term Consequences of Rectal Cancer Treatment?

Abstract

The multimodal treatment of rectal cancer is a major challenge to the clinicians and implies a significant risk of long-term consequences for the patients. The purpose of this short article is to address why and how we should measure late toxicity of rectal cancer treatment. To illustrate some of the key points we review eight key completed randomized phase 3 trials that have contributed to the evidence for use of radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy for rectal tumors. We highlight an urgent need for the validation of a rectal cancer trial specific questionnaire that can be internationally applied.

Use of patient-reported outcomes to measure symptoms and health related quality of life in the clinic

“…Satisfaction may be more related to the overall experience of their treatment and influenced by a "ceiling effect" of high satisfaction typical for cancer patients. However, patient engagement and empowerment through improved (11,56,57). This high quality information could provide evidence for developing safe dose-volume constraints for normal tissues in the future.…”