The relevant distinction between “progression” in ovarian cancer drug trials and the clinical decision to change therapy - Markman (very short abstract)

abstract: "It is rational to suggest that the decision to alter treatment in advanced ovarian cancer should be based on the totality of evidence that the disease is worsening, on patient tolerability of the therapy, and on a determination that the current regimen is providing no benefit or unacceptably limited benefit to the specific individual. Knowledge of an objective measure of “progression” should play an important, but not a singular, role."

Quality of life and meaning of life: measuring the unmeasurable

Note: see Einstein's quote at the top of this blog

Abstract

Quality of life (QoL) in medicine and in oncology is an accepted parameter for the evaluation of the benefit of treatments. Scientific methods exist to assess QoL measures in clinical trials. However, many components of the person that are properly humane and determine the patient’s attitude towards the disease are not measured by current criteria. Based on clinical experience, the author considers that a shift in knowledge and in doctors’ attitudes is required to also include non-measurable parameters in the doctor-patient relationship.

Abstract/free full access: Comparison of numerical and verbal rating scales to measure pain exacerbations in patients with chronic cancer pain

Background
Numerical rating scales (NRS), and verbal rating scales (VRS) showed to be reliable and valid tools for subjective cancer pain measurement, but no one of them consistently proved to be superior to the other. Aim of the present study is to compare NRS and VRS performance in assessing breakthrough or episodic pain (BP-EP) exacerbations.