Young woman in hospital bed leaning against pillows in white pillow cases. She is wearing a floral nightie and has a blue and white scarf on her head.

Investigators: Professor Meera Agar, Ingrid Amgarth-Duff, Linda Brown, Dr Michael Chapman, Dr Sungwon Chang, Andrea Cross, Professor Richard Head, Professor Bogda Koczwara, Professor Meinir Krishnasamy, Dr Philip Lee, Dr Tim Luckett, Professor Jennifer Philip, Professor Jane Phillips, Dr Rayan Saleh Moussa, Manraaj Sidhu, Dr Christopher Steer, Dr Puma Sundaresan, Professor Rosalie Viney, Dr Aaron Wong, Dr Vanessa Yenson.

Sponsor: Cancer Symptom Trials, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney

Defining research priorities and needs in cancer symptoms for adults who are living with or have had cancer: an Australian/New Zealand modified Delphi study

Increasingly,  consumers, clinicians, and researchers have identified the need for consolidated efforts to improve the evidence base for cancer symptom management and the implementation of models of symptomatic and supportive care into practice and health services. To ensure this evidence can be created rapidly and efficiently, and the cancer symptom and supportive care research community, working in partnership with cancer consumers need to mount a coherent and focussed effort around identified research priorities. As such, the results of this study will directly assist in the advocacy and prioritisation of future research and high-quality clinical trials into the most important cancer symptoms, with the potential to recommend new or repurposed drugs, devices, or non-pharmacological interventions that will significantly improve the quality of life of these patients.

This modified Delphi study aligns with the vision of Cancer Australia to reduce the impact of cancer, address disparities and improve outcomes for people affected by cancer. The outcomes of the study will identify the cancer symptoms in most need of attention, which will allow for advocacy in the direction of future research and targeted clinical trials that will ultimately improve the lives of those living with cancer. It also aligns with and will add information to the recent recommendations by the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) for a model of ongoing care for cancer survivors that uses 1) a systematic, coordinated approach with 2) stratified pathways based on needs and risk, that 3) supports wellness, healthy lifestyle, primary and secondary prevention with 4) a living survivorship plan to facilitate communication between providers, and 5) calls for equitable access to services when needed.

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