gms | German Medical Science

Background/research question: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide and the second and third leading cause of cancer death in women and men. With improving therapeutic options, the number of elderly people living with colorectal cancer is increasing. Their special needs including disease management in everyday life as well as improving quality of life should be an interdisciplinary focus of future research.

Research projects are currently driven by scientists or pharmaceutical industry whereas other stakeholders i.e. patients, relatives, nurses, physicians etc. are rarely involved. Accordingly, it remains unclear which research questions, especially concerning older patients, should be answered with high priority. To address this mismatch, the “Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) colorectal cancer” according to the concept of and in cooperation with the James Lind Alliance (JLA) was initiated. The PSP colorectal cancer aims to bring patients, carers, clinicians and other relevant stakeholders together to identify and prioritize the most important unanswered research questions about diagnostics, therapy and oncological aftercare of CRC patients with an emphasis on special needs of elderly cancer patients.

Methods: Supported by the UK-based James Lind Alliance the FP is performed by the following method ensuring transparency of the process and balanced inclusion of all stakeholders’ interests and perspectives. After creating a Steering Group, 1,108 questions were gathered via a nationwide survey. Responses were summarized, categorized and a systematic literature search was performed to check against current evidence. In a second survey, interim priority setting was carried out. In September 2021, in the final consensus workshop the TOP 10 list of research priorities has been identified which will be published and promoted to initiate relevant future projects.

Results: At the congress the final results of the TOP-10 prioritized unanswered questions will be presented.

Conclusion: Patient-centered interdisciplinary research is currently an underrepresented field in oncology. Priorities which are gathered in this first nationwide project with the new approach of urgently needed patient involvement bringing together all stakeholders in colorectal cancer provide an important basis for future research.The identified questions are intended to initiate patient-relevant research and research funding, thus improving the care of those most affected by colorectal cancer.

Competing interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.