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Updated: Jul 21, 2025

Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Based Developmental Toxicity Assays for Chemical Safety Screening and Systems Biology Data Generation
Published on: June 17, 2015
Measuring symptoms and toxicities: a 35-year experience
Charles L Loprinzi1, Paul Novotny2, Kathryn J Ruddy3
1Mayo Clinic Rochester (Medical Oncology), Rochester, MN, USA. cloprinzi@mayo.edu.
Patient-reported outcomes are best for measuring cancer treatment side effects. When validated tools aren't available, simple numerical rating scales effectively capture patient symptoms and treatment toxicities.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Clinical Trials
- Patient-Reported Outcomes
Background:
- Effective measurement of patient symptoms is crucial for cancer and cancer treatment trials.
- Accurate toxicity assessment guides treatment decisions and patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify optimal methods for measuring patient-reported symptoms in cancer clinical trials.
- To provide guidance on selecting appropriate instruments for toxicity assessment.
Main Methods:
- Leveraging extensive experience in conducting symptom-control clinical trials.
- Reviewing and comparing different methods for symptom and toxicity measurement.
Main Results:
- Patient-reported outcome data provide more accurate and detailed information than clinician assessments.
- Well-validated, patient-friendly measures are recommended when available.
- Face-valid, single-item numerical rating scales are effective alternatives when validated measures are absent.
Conclusions:
- Numerical rating scales are effective for measuring cancer symptoms and treatment toxicities.
- Patient-reported outcomes enhance the evaluation of symptom management strategies.
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