December began on a collaborative note with a highly productive plenary meeting held in Madrid, bringing together the BD4QoL consortium. The gathering served as a stage to review the overall progress of the project and to present and discuss the status and preliminary results of our prospective study. This dynamic exchange of ideas reaffirmed our collective commitment to deliver solutions to enhance the quality of life for head and neck cancer survivors.

Discussions underscored the pressing need to address gaps in survivorship care, as highlighted in a recent systematic review (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39687101/). The study revealed that despite the significant physical and psychological burden faced by head and neck cancer patients, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) remains underrepresented as a primary endpoint in clinical trials. While inclusion of HRQoL as an endpoint has increased over time, it is still notably absent in many phase II and III trials, limiting the comprehensive evaluation of treatment impact.

This aligns closely with BD4QoL's mission to leverage big data and artificial intelligence to address this gap. By integrating Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs) and real-time HRQoL monitoring into our platform, we aim to redefine the standards of post-treatment care, ensuring a holistic approach that prioritizes both survival and quality of life for cancer survivors.