EORTC Quality of Life Group unveils flexible, future-focused strategy for patient-reported outcome assessment in cancer care

Brussels, 22 April 2025 – The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) is proud to announce the release recently of a landmark publication outlining its comprehensive strategy for the measurement of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in oncology. The article by Claire Piccinin et al.¹, published in the European Cancer Journal (EJC), reflects decades of progress in patient-centered care and outcomes research.

The EORTC Quality of Life Group (QLG) has played a pivotal role in the development and global adoption of robust PRO measures, starting with the widely used Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) in the early 1990’s. This quickly led to a ‘core + module’ strategy with the development of disease- and treatment-specific questionnaires, called modules. With the rapid evolution and increasing complexity of cancer therapies, more diverse patient needs, and the broader implementation of PROs across clinical and research settings, the EORTC QLG has responded with a forward-thinking strategy designed to enhance flexibility, precision, and relevance in PRO assessment in oncology.

At the core of this expanded strategy are two transformative innovations:

• The EORTC CAT Core: A computer-adaptive testing (CAT) version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 that selects tailored questions based on patients’ responses, increasing precision while reducing burden;
• The EORTC Item Library: A dynamic online platform containing over 1,000 validated items (questions) from 75 questionnaires, allowing users to create customised item lists tailored to specific clinical or research needs.

“The future of cancer care must reflect the complexity of treatment and the individuality of patients’ experiences,” said Claire Piccinin, from EORTC and lead author. “This updated strategy ensures that the tools we use to assess quality of life remain scientifically rigorous, clinically meaningful, and responsive to patients’ voices,” added Prof. Mogens Groenvold, co-author and co-leader of the EORTC CAT Core project.

The publication provides a detailed overview of the historical development of the QLG’s modular approach to PRO measurement, outlines current best practices, and introduces new methodologies for tailoring questionnaires to specific populations, including those with rare cancers or receiving novel therapies. It also offers recommendations for integrating these tools into clinical trials and routine care, aligning with regulatory and health technology assessment (HTA) standards.

The EORTC QLG’s integrated strategy balances cutting-edge measurement science with practical, global implementation, continuing to support high-quality research and improved outcomes for patients across all stages of cancer care. With this strategy, EORTC aims to ensure that quality of life remains at the heart of oncology research—now and into the future.

The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation, which unites clinical cancer research experts, throughout Europe, to define better treatments for cancer patients to prolong survival and improve quality of life. Spanning from translational to large, prospective, multi-centre, phase III clinical trials that evaluate new therapies and treatment strategies as well as patient quality of life, its activities are coordinated from EORTC Headquarters, a unique international clinical research infrastructure, based in Brussels, Belgium.

The EORTC Quality of Life Group (QLG) strives to improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of cancer patients, through dedicated research and the use of HRQoL measures within cancer clinical trials and clinical practice. HRQoL constitutes an important aspect of cancer research and care: it gives a voice to patients, putting their experience at the forefront. The QLG is part of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC).
For further information, please visit the QLG website: qol.eortc.org

Caroline Hance (EORTC QLG)
caroline.hance@eortc.org

¹ Piccinin, Claire et al. (2025) Flexibility in patient-reported outcome and health-related quality of life measurement: The EORTC Quality of Life Group measurement strategy. European Journal of Cancer, Volume 220, 115392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2025.115392.