Health-related quality of life assessment in contemporary phase III trials in advanced colorectal cancer

HRQOL has been formally assessed in about one-third of recent phase III trials in advanced colorectal cancer, with a significant gain in HRQOL in about 40% of cases. It is questionable whether HRQOL results may largely help select between competing treatments. This assumption may be one of the reasons for the apparent decreased use of HRQOL as an endpoint in phase III trials in this disease.