Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is considered an important outcome measure in neuro-oncology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the brain cancer-specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-BN20) of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) in Lithuanian brain tumor patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS. One hundred consecutive patients (71% of women; mean age, 58 ± 14 years) admitted for elective brain tumor surgery were evaluated for HRQoL using the QLQ-BN20, QLQ-C30 (a core EORTC questionnaire for cancer patients), and SF-36 scale; for motor dysfunction (clinical examination); for cognitive dysfunction (Mini-Mental State Examination); and for disability (Barthel Index). RESULTS. The QLQ-BN20 subscales had an adequate internal consistency (Cronbach α, 0.75-0.90). Motor dysfunction on neurological examination was associated with greater motor dysfunction on the QLQ-BN20; greater disability, with greater future uncertainty, motor dysfunction, communication deficits, headaches, seizures, drowsiness, itchy skin, weakness of legs, and poor bladder control on the QLQ-BN20; and cognitive dysfunction, with greater future uncertainty, visual deficits, motor dysfunction, communication deficits, headaches, drowsiness, and weakness of legs symptoms on the QLQ-BN20, suggesting an adequate clinical validity of the QLQ-BN20. A score for motor dysfunction on the QLQ-BN20 correlated with a score for motor dysfunction on the QLQ-C30 and SF-36 scales; a score for headache on the QLQ-BN20, with a score for pain on the QLQ-C30 and SF-36 scales; and a score for drowsiness symptoms on the QLQ-BN20, with a score for fatigue on the QLQ-C30. CONCLUSIONS. The Lithuanian version of the EORTC-QLQ-BN20 scale has acceptable psychometric properties and can be reliably used for the assessment of HRQoL in brain tumor patients.
Highlights
Brain tumors are a rare disease with an incidence rate of 18 per 100 000 person-years for primary brain tumors and with an estimated overall prevalence rate reaching 222 per 100 000 persons [1]
Scores on the majority of the QLQ-BN20 and QLQ-C30 subscales and items were skewed toward the direction of better Health-related quality of life (HRQoL), since the majority of patients reported “not at all” or “little” for most symptoms and dysfunctions
The results of the present study suggest that the QLQ-BN20 scale has acceptable psychometric properties in Lithuanian brain tumor patients; it can be reliably applied for the evaluation of HRQoL in clinical practice and research studies
Summary
Brain tumors are a rare disease with an incidence rate of 18 per 100 000 person-years for primary brain tumors and with an estimated overall prevalence rate reaching 222 per 100 000 persons [1]. Traditional outcome measures in clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of brain tumor treatment include overall survival and progression-free survival among others. These classic endpoint measures do not provide with information regarding. The brain cancer-specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-BN20) of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) [11] was designed for the assessment of HRQoL in brain tumor patients and remains the most widely used HRQoL measure in brain tumor patients [7]. A recent study in 17 Eastern and Western European countries reported the adequate psychometric properties of the QLQ-BN20 scale, suggesting that this instrument can be reliably applied for the evaluation of HRQoL in international clinical trials [12]. To the best of our knowledge, the psychometric properties of the Lithuanian version of the QLQ-BN20 remain to be assessed
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