Quality of Life Group

In 1980, in response to an expressed need within the EORTC for a coherent policy on Quality of Life (QOL) research, the Quality of Life Group (QLG) was created to advise the EORTC Headquarters and the various cooperative groups on the design, implementation and analysis of QOL studies within selected phase III clinical trials.

Currently, 15 European countries are represented within the Group, as well as Australia, Canada and the United States.

From its inception, the QLG has included a broad range of professionals, including oncologists, radiotherapists, surgeons, psychiatrists, palliative care specialists, psychologists, social workers and research methodologists.

This cultural mix, defined as much in terms of professional background as language and geography, has proven invaluable in shaping the QLG’s approach to QOL assessment.

The goals of the EORTC QLG are threefold:
1) To develop and refine questionnaires for assessing health-related quality of life (HRQL) of patients for use in oncology clinical trials, in other well-designed research studies and in clinical practice
2) To collaborate with EORTC Disease-Oriented Groups (DOG) in implementing HRQL studies within their clinical trial programs
3) To conduct research to better understand the effects of cancer and its treatment on the HRQL of diverse populations of patients with cancer across different cultures.