Statistical challenges of quality of life and cancer: new avenues for future research

Abstract

Statistical modeling conference on the quality of life measurements of the French National Platform of Quality of Life and Cancer

Faculty of Science in Luminy, Marseille, France, 12–13 September 2013

The French National Platform of Quality of Life and Cancer and the statistical team of the Mathematical Institute of Luminy undertook a successful first conference addressing the statistical challenges of measuring the quality of life in the field of oncology. More than 15 presentations were made over a 2-day period by the Faculty of Sciences in Luminy. The conference managed to assemble participants from different disciplines, such as mathematics and statistics, public health, epidemiology and psychology, to debate the key statistical and methodological issues of quality of life measurement and analysis. Three main topics were covered in this conference: the treatment of missing data, the development of item banking and computerised adaptive testing and the detection/understanding of response shift.

Authors contribution

Drafting and writing of the Meeting Report was completed by all of the authors.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the French National Platform of Quality of Life and Cancer, the French Institut de Recherche en Santé Publique (IRESP CUD-QV, Concepts, Usages et Déterminants en Qualité de Vie) and the French Statistical Society. The authors would like to thank all the participants of this conference.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.