Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Oct;22(10):1645-56.
doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-13-0513. Epub 2013 Aug 16.

Predicting cancer prognosis using interactive online tools: a systematic review and implications for cancer care providers

Borsika A Rabin  1 , Bridget Gaglio, Tristan Sanders, Larissa Nekhlyudov, James W Dearing, Sheana Bull, Russell E Glasgow, Alfred Marcus
Affiliations

Predicting cancer prognosis using interactive online tools: a systematic review and implications for cancer care providers

Borsika A Rabin et al. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2013 Oct.

Abstract

Cancer prognosis is of keen interest for patients with cancer, their caregivers, and providers. Prognostic tools have been developed to guide patient-physician communication and decision-making. Given the proliferation of prognostic tools, it is timely to review existing online cancer prognostic tools and discuss implications for their use in clinical settings. Using a systematic approach, we searched the Internet, Medline, and consulted with experts to identify existing online prognostic tools. Each was reviewed for content and format. Twenty-two prognostic tools addressing 89 different cancers were identified. Tools primarily focused on prostate (n = 11), colorectal (n = 10), breast (n = 8), and melanoma (n = 6), although at least one tool was identified for most malignancies. The input variables for the tools included cancer characteristics (n = 22), patient characteristics (n = 18), and comorbidities (n = 9). Effect of therapy on prognosis was included in 15 tools. The most common predicted outcome was cancer-specific survival/mortality (n = 17). Only a few tools (n = 4) suggested patients as potential target users. A comprehensive repository of online prognostic tools was created to understand the state-of-the-art in prognostic tool availability and characteristics. Use of these tools may support communication and understanding about cancer prognosis. Dissemination, testing, refinement of existing, and development of new tools under different conditions are needed.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Distribution of prognostic tools throughout the identification process
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Epstein RM, Street RLJ. NIH Publication No 07-6225. National Cancer Institute; Bethesda, MD: 2007. Patient-Centered Communication in Cancer Care: Promoting Healing and Reducing Suffering.
    1. Hagerty RG, Butow PN, Ellis PM, Dimitry S, Tattersall MH. Communicating prognosis in cancer care: a systematic review of the literature. Ann Oncol. 2005;16(7):1005–53. - PubMed
    1. de Bock GH, Bonnema J, Zwaan RE, van de Velde CJ, Kievit J, Stiggelbout AM. Patient's needs and preferences in routine follow-up after treatment for breast cancer. Br J Cancer. 2004;90(6):1144–50. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Smith TJ, Dow LA, Virago E, Khatcheressian J, Lyckholm LJ, Matsuyama R. Giving honest information to patients with advanced cancer maintains hope. Oncology (Williston Park) 2010;24(6):521–5. - PubMed
    1. Rutten LJ, Arora NK, Bakos AD, Aziz N, Rowland J. Information needs and sources of information among cancer patients: a systematic review of research (1980-2003) Patient Educ Couns. 2005;57(3):250–61. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources