New Study to Map Long-Term Needs of Cancer Survivors in Germany
Essen, Germany – A new cross-sectionalโ study, OPTILATER (optimalโค long-term survival after cancer), is underway โขin North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) to comprehensively assess the care situation and unmet needs of adultโค cancerโ survivors. The project,aโ collaboration between the LVR-University โHospital Essen,the Cancer Registry ofโข North Rhine-westphalia โฃ(LKR NRW),the West Germanโค Cancerโฃ Center (WTZ),the Institute of โMedical Informatics,Biometry andโข Epidemiologyโ (IMIBE) at the University Hospital Essen,and the University Hospital Cologne,aims to deliver evidence-based recommendations forโ improved survivorship care,especially for minority and underrepresented groups.
OPTILATER is structured around multiple Work Packages โค(WPs), โwithโข WP3 โspecifically focused on gathering โขquantitative data on socioeconomic status, health-related quality of life, cognition, data status, psychological well-being (including depressiveโ symptoms โand anxiety), sleep, nutrition, physical activity, and somatic late effects. The study utilizes โestablished Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) to evaluate survivor quality of life and identify โareasโค where interventions, including digital health solutions, are most needed.
Participant recruitment is being managedโ by the LKR NRW โคto ensure a diverse representation of the cancer survivor population within NRW, including individuals with migration backgrounds.All participantsโ included in the study have a confirmed cancer diagnosis. โค
The ultimate goal of OPTILATER is to enhance the long-term quality of life for cancer survivors in Germany through targeted interventionsโค and improved careโฃ pathways.