Measuring symptoms and toxicities: a 35-year experience

Purpose When conducting trials aimed at the improvement of cancer-related and/or cancer treatment-related toxicities, it is important to determine the best means of measuring patients’ symptoms. Methods The authors of this current manuscript have an extensive experience with the conduct of symptom-control clinical trials. This experience is utilized to provide insight into the best means of measuring symptoms caused by cancer and/or cancer therapy. Results Patient-reported outcome data are preferable for measuring bothersome symptoms, for determining toxicities caused by treatment approaches, and offer more accurate and detailed information compared with health care practitioners recording their impressions of patient experiences. Well-validated patient friendly measures are recommended when they are available. When such are not readily available, face-valid, single-item numerical rating scales are effective instruments to document both treatment trial outcomes and cancer treatment side effects/toxicities. Conclusion The use of numerical rating scales are effective means of measuring symptoms caused by cancer, by cancer treatments, and/or alleviated by symptom control treatment approaches.