Evaluating the Utility of Existing Patient-Reported Outcome Scales in Novel Patient Populations with Pancreatic Cancer, Lung Cancer, and Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Using Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey Data

Background While there are validated patient-reported outcomes (PRO) instruments for use in specific cancer populations, no validated general instruments exist for use in conditions common to multiple cancers, such as muscle wasting and consequent physical disability. The Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS), a survey in a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries, includes items from three well known scales with general applicability to cancer patients: Katz activities of daily living (ADL), Rosow–Breslau instrumental ADL (IADL), and a subset of physical performance items from the Nagi scale.