An article co-authored by Carolyn Gotay, a Professor in the School of Population and Public Health, has been highlighted by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) as a “notable advance” in 2012 for contributing to research on quality cancer care.
The study, published in the December 2011 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, investigated whether physician and patient perspectives about quality of life predicted how long the patients lived. The study results showed that patient and doctor assessments together were the most accurate predictions of patient survival. This finding supports the idea that including information from both patients and physicians is important in understanding what will happen to cancer patients in the future.
The article was an international collaboration between Dr. Gotay and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer. The study authorship team includes researchers from Canada, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and the U.S.
“I’m truly honoured by ASCO’s recognition of our work,” said Dr. Gotay, who is Director of the Cancer Prevent Centre, “and I believe the findings support the importance of systematically assessing patient perspectives in clinical trials research.”
The Cancer Prevention Centre is a partnership of the Canadian Cancer Society and UBC. As a network of researchers, policy makers, practitioners, and communities, the Centre uses a novel model that links academic excellence with community championship.