Policy and outcome studies represent a new area of research in oncology. Understanding the factors that affect quality of life, costs of care, patterns of care, and outcomes in oncology is important to providing comprehensive care. Health services is meant to be both a productive area of research as well as a discipline that improves patient decision making. In sum, Cancer Policy highlights some of the important areas of health services research in oncology.

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Foreword. Quality of Life Research: Clinical Applications; J.L. Reifel, P.A. Ganz. Utility Assessment: Methods and Research; G.B. Chapman, A.S. Elstein. Costs and Cost-Effectiveness of New Technologies in Cancer; T.M. Waters. Evaluating Cancer Costs in NCI Trials; K.A. Schulman, W.L. Boyko, Jr. Using State and Federal Claims Data to Evaluate the Patterns and Costs of Cancer Care;C.E. Desch, L.T. Penberthy. Costs of Cancer Care: Is the Community Setting Different than the Academic? J.D. Bitran. Health Service Studies in the Terminally Ill Cancer Patient; T.J. Smith. Racial Variation in Cancer Care: A Case Study of Prostate Cancer; R.D. Horner. Evaluating Focus Group Data: Barriers to Screening for Prostate Cancer Patients; W. Dale. Promoting Informed Decision Making; Hormone Replacement Therapy; L.A. Bastian, et al. Breast Cancer Practice Patterns at VA Hospitals: Implications for Future Research; D.M. Hynes, L.A. Bastian. Health Services Research in Head and Neck Cancer; D.G. Pfister, et al.