Patient-reported outcomes in cancer survivorship: insights from two decades of population-based PROFILES registry research

Abstract

Purpose When the field of cancer survivorship research was in its infancy, the PROFILES registry was set up in 2004 to monitor patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in survivors and a normative population. This scoping review aims to summarize lessons learned from developing a population-based PRO registry, focusing on study methodologies, data collection shifts, data utilization, multidisciplinary collaboration, societal impact, and data sharing. Methods A systematic computerized literature search through PubMed was performed to collect all publications using data from the PROFILES registry between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2023. Results The PROFILES registry’s research today encompassed 249 papers from 35 studies. Key insights include the importance of multi-hospital collaboration, which enhances participant inclusion and result generalizability. Optimizing response rates and patient inclusion is achieved through proactive data collection methods such as inclusion by health care professionals, and using both web-based and paper questionnaires. Longitudinal studies, despite their intensive data collection efforts, provide critical insights into the consequences of cancer and its treatment on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) from diagnosis through survivorship. Combining PRO data with comprehensive clinical registry data ensures reliable datasets, crucial for drawing meaningful conclusions. The shift towards multidisciplinary collaboration, open-access publishing, and data sharing all contribute to accessible and impactful research. Conclusions This review highlights key insights from the PROFILES registry, emphasizing multi-hospital collaboration, proactive data collection, and the integration of PROs with clinical data. Implications for Cancer Survivors These lessons can guide future research on cancer survivorship, improving methodologies to enhance survivorship care and quality of life through multidisciplinary collaboration and data sharing.