The group is composed of methodologists, statisticians/epidemiologists, data managers, and medical specialists who work to promote the idea that the patient must remain at the center of research.
The UMQVC group is a functional unit of the Oncology Department at the University Hospital of Besançon and provides support notably to the departments of oncology, digestive and vascular surgery, nephrology, and pulmonology. The group serves as the methodological reference for GERCOR (a national cooperative group in oncology, whose data processing center is certified by INCa).
It is also a member of the scientific council of the ARCAD Foundation, of the board of the national platform “Quality of Life and Cancer,” as well as of the EORTC QOL group. The unit collaborates with AGEO, FRENCH, PGI, the team developing CHES (software used for quality of life monitoring), and the psychology laboratories of the Universities of Franche-Comté and Burgundy.
The unit develops several research themes:
- Statistical methodology for prediction and risk stratification, providing tools to adapt patient management strategies and guide research strategies
- Routine monitoring of quality of life, using QOL information as a complementary tool in the management of cancer patients
- Supportive oncology care
- Development of bioinformatics tools
Since the creation of the unit in 2011, 321 articles have been published, including 163 (51%) in A or B-ranked journals.