My research focuses on the design of clinical trials and technology approaches that can better assess patients’ symptoms during cancer treatment—thus allowing us to manage or avoid those symptoms more effectively. I serve as the principal investigator for a National Cancer Institute (NCI) initiative to develop a system for assessing patients’ symptoms and side effects in clinical trials (called the PRO-CTCAE). I am also the national study chair for several multicenter research studies assessing these approaches in the NCI cooperative groups and in other research consortia. I also direct a number of research studies on the assessment and control of pain in prostate cancer. My research program is funded by the National Cancer Institute, Department of Defense, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and several foundations.
I have chaired and served on panels to develop prostate cancer treatment guidelines for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and chaired the overall ASCO Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee. I also chair the Health Outcomes Committee for one the of NCI’s large cooperative groups, which oversees assessment of symptoms and quality of life in multicenter clinical trials. I participate in numerous other national and international committees related to symptom assessment, prostate cancer outcomes, health services research, and cancer healthcare policy. I have served as a member of the Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Working Group, and as a co-principal investigator and executive committee member for the Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium.
I have also conducted research to assemble the best available scientific evidence around complementary and alternative therapies.
