Evaluation of prognostic & predictive models in the oncology clinic

Predictive and prognostic models hold great potential to support clinical decision making in oncology and could ultimately facilitate a paradigm shift to a more personalised form of treatment. Currently, a large number of models relevant to the field of oncology have been developed, but few have been translated into clinical use and assessment of clinical utility is not considered a routine part of model development. In this narrative review of the clinical evaluation of prediction models in oncology, we propose a high-level process diagram for the life cycle of a clinical model, encompassing model commissioning, clinical implementation and ongoing quality assurance, which aims to bridge the gap between model development and clinical implementation.