Moffitt Cancer Center researchers have developed the first patient-reported outcome (PRO) measure for patients receiving radionuclide therapy (RNT) to guide treatment and improve quality of care.
Lisa M. Gudenkauf, PhD, and colleagues published their findings in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
While the field of RNT for prostate cancer is growing steadily, current PRO measures are mostly designed to assess impacts of chemotherapy or surgery.
To develop the new PRO tool, researchers first identified relevant symptoms and toxicities by reviewing published trials and interviews with patients with prostate cancer receiving RNT (n=29), their caregivers (n=14), and their clinicians (n=11). Items were selected for measure inclusion and further refined after input from RNT experts.
The final PRO questionnaire, called the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Radionuclide Therapy (FACT-RNT), was created with patient input. It includes 15 questions on symptoms and side effects such as dry mouth, nausea, loss of appetite, bone pain, fatigue, and feelings of isolation due to illness or treatment.
“We were thorough in determining which symptoms and side effects are important to patients receiving RNT for prostate cancer,” said Dr. Gudenkauf in a press release.
“The FACT-RNT will help future researchers better understand the impact of RNT and other therapies on quality of life in patients with prostate cancer,” added Brian Gonzalez, PhD, senior study author and associate member of the Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior at Moffitt Cancer Center.
The US Department of Defense and the National Cancer Institute supported this study.
