Systematic Review of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Locally Recurrent Rectal Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Clinical Research
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• High-quality patient-reported outcome (PRO) data is essential for shared decision-making in locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC).
• Balancing treatment benefits against disease and treatment impact on PROs, like quality of life, is critical in LRRC management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) currently reported in LRRC studies.
• To evaluate the methodological quality of studies utilizing PROMs in LRRC.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL up to September 14, 2022.
• Inclusion of adult LRRC studies reporting PROMs as primary or secondary outcomes.
• Assessment of PROM reporting quality using CONSORT-PRO criteria and psychometric properties using COSMIN Risk of Bias checklist.

Main Results:

• Thirty-five studies involving 1914 LRRC patients were analyzed.
• No studies met all eleven criteria for high-quality PROM reporting.
• Seventeen PROMs were identified, none validated for LRRC patients; two clinician-reported measures were also noted.

Conclusions:

• Existing PROMs used in LRRC lack validation for this specific patient group.
• Future LRRC research must prioritize PROMs developed rigorously with LRRC patient input.
• This will ensure the generation of high-quality, accurate, and relevant patient outcome data.