The primary focus of my research is oncology patient quality of life (QOL). The general philosophy of this research is to ensure that alongside the investigation of medical treatments intended to prolong life, it is important to incoporate the relative quality of life for the patient over the the additional time gained. Three themes drive this research: 1.) incorporating QOL inot clinical trials in an efficient, consistent, and effective manner where appropriate; 2.)development of concise, sensitive, sand convenient QOL measures and methodologies; 3.) development of clinical trials trageted specifically at QOL endpoints. This research has developed a particular interest in assessing how to determine when a patient's QOL has changed sufficiently so as to indicate a need for clinical intervention.

This work involves a broad spectrum of Mayo colleagues including collaboration with the Mayo Cancer Center and North Central Cancer Treatment Group. The work has attracted attention from international colleagues who have recently produced a state of the science series of manuscripts and meetings on how to assess the clinical significance for QOL measures.