Outcomes research in oncology: improving patients' experiences with cancer treatment

Outcomes research in oncology is a relatively young field, but its potential for expanding our understanding of patients' experiences with cancer gives it increasing relevance to clinical oncology research. We provide a brief overview of the growing prevalence of oncology outcomes research, and we discuss some of the key areas of inquiry currently engaging outcomes researchers. In doing so, we introduce the articles in this supplemental section, which address some of the unique concerns of outcomes researchers and outline the most important challenges confronting this research community.