Quality of life assessment and research in the EORTC (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer)

Abstract:

Quality of Life (QOL) assessment and research within the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) has become increasingly important over the past 25 years, starting already in 1979 with the founding of the EORTC Quality of Life Group (EORTC QLG), and QOL has become part of many cancer clinical trial protocols in different ways. This paper briefly presents an overview of QOL within the EORTC, the development of the QLQ-C30 instrument, the construction of specific modules, issues of cross-cultural validation and translation, and the various other activities of the QLG and the Data Centre Quality of Life Unit (QLU). The article also includes key findings from selected QOL studies published by the EORTC, highlighting this large international clinical trial organisation’s contribution to this field of oncology.