Validation of the Polish version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire – Core 15 – Palliative Care in patients with advanced cancer

Abstract

Background: Limited data exist on the validation of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire – Core 15 – Palliative Care in advanced cancer patients. Aim: To adapt the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire – Core 15 – Palliative Care to the Polish clinical setting and to evaluate its psychometric properties in advanced cancer patients. Design: Two quality-of-life measurements were performed at baseline and after 7 days. The concurrent validity of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire – Core 15 – Palliative Care was established by the Pearson correlation coefficients with the modified Edmonton Symptom Assessment System, the Karnofsky Performance Status and the Brief Pain Inventory – Short Form. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients and the Spearman correlation coefficients of the baseline and of the second measurement of European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire – Core 15 – Palliative Care items. Setting/participants: A total of 160 consecutive patients in one academic palliative medicine centre were included. Results: A total of 129 patients completed the study. The concurrent validity revealed significant correlations of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire – Core 15 – Palliative Care pain scale with the Brief Pain Inventory – Short Form, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire – Core 15 – Palliative Care symptom items with the modified Edmonton Symptom Assessment System and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire – Core 15 – Palliative Care functional scales with the Karnofsky Performance Status scores. High Cronbach’s alpha and standardised Cronbach’s alpha values were found in the case of both functional (range: 0.830–0.925; 0.830–0.932) and symptom scales (range: 0.784–0.940; 0.794–0.941) of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire – Core 15 – Palliative Care, respectively. The Spearman correlation coefficients between the first and the second measurements were significant (p < 0.0001) for all European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire – Core 15 – Palliative Care items. Conclusions: Polish version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire – Core 15 – Palliative Care is a valid and reliable tool recommended for quality-of-life assessment and monitoring in advanced cancer patients.