Ethan Basch | Cancer Outcomes Research Program

Ethan Basch, MD, MSc is a practicing medical oncologist and health services researcher who leads the Cancer Outcomes Research Program. His own research focuses on development and implementation of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in oncology drug development and clinical care. His team created and tested the PRO-CTCAE for the US National Cancer Institute, a tool for eliciting symptomatic adverse events directly from patients in cancer trials and practice. The PRO-CTCAE has become a standard measure and is increasingly integrated into global oncology trials. His team also published the STAR trial, demonstrating that symptom monitoring with PROs during routine cancer care increases clinician awareness of problems patients are facing, improves symptom control and quality of life, lengthens time tolerating chemotherapy, reduces emergency room utilization, and lengthens overall survival. Dr. Basch is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), is an Associate Editor for JAMA, a member of the Methodology Committee of PCORI, Co-Chair of the Cancer Care Delivery Research Committee of the Alliance, a former member of the NCI Board of Scientific Advisors, and a former member of the Board of the International Society for Quality of Life Research (ISOQOL). At UNC, he is committed to supporting the cancer outcomes research community through shared infrastructure, seminars, small grants, core facilities that facilitate health services research (i.e., big data analyses, PRO studies, web-based behavioral interventions), a predoctoral/postdoctoral training program, and career development resources.