About the Center
The Collaborating Center for Supportive Cancer Care at M. D. Anderson was established by the Pan American Health Organization in 1996. It is based within M. D. Anderson's Department of Symptom Research and directed by Charles S. Cleeland, Ph.D., the McCullough Professor of Cancer Research and Department of Symptom Research chair. The center focuses on issues critical to the survival and quality of life of cancer patients, including symptom control and palliation, infection control, management of bone metastases, rehabilitation, medical decision making and pharmaco-economics. A multidisciplinary advisory committee and a three-person staff oversee center operations.
The Department of Symptom Research and its predecessor, the Pain Research Group (PRG), have been involved in international research and training for two decades. In 1987, while at the University of Wisconsin, the PRG was designated as the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Symptom Evaluation in Cancer Care. Under this umbrella, the PRG/ Department of Symptom Research has conducted studies of the prevalence and severity of cancer pain in the U.S., Asia, Latin America and Europe. These studies have made use of translations of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), an assessment tool developed by the PRG. The BPI allows for cross-cultural comparisons of pain impact and treatment effectiveness.
WHO Goals for Collaborating Centers
- To cooperate with national investigators in the design and implementation of international research programs in supportive care for cancer patients. These programs will be sensitive to the resources and cultural expectations of the areas where they are to be implemented. The Center will offer a multidisciplinary team of supportive care medical specialists and researchers to provide expertise in the clinical practice and research in supportive care.
- To provide a model for international diffusion of the best evidence-based supportive care practice in countries requesting assistance. The existing model uses a multidisciplinary approach with intensive training and protocols, providing didactic, clinical and drug policy components for appropriate use of opioid analgesics. The model also supports the creation of regional or national demonstration projects that utilize the most current and cost-effective symptom management methods. This model would be expanded to encompass the broad objectives of supportive care.
- To develop outcome measures and outcome study designs for the evaluation and refinement of national and international training and treatment modalities in supportive care. Such evaluations might include clinical outcome research, process outcome measures, cost effectiveness studies and studies of physician practice patterns in supportive care. These evaluations should also include evaluation of changes in supportive care practice as reflected in modifications in health policy and treatment availability.
- To provide technical support for the WHO Program on Cancer Control as well as the WHO Regional Offices, particularly with regard to supportive care and symptom management.