Abstract
BackgroundThe increasing incidence of colorectal cancer in Taiwan has generated a need for a disease-specific quality-of-life measuring instrument. We aimed to validate the Taiwan Chinese version of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CR29.MethodsA total of 108 patients were interviewed. Convergent and discriminant validity, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, test-retest reliability, and known-groups comparisons were used to examine the reliability and validity.ResultsWe found good internal consistency reliability for multi-item scales of the QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CR29, except for the cognitive function and pain scale of the QLQ-C30. Patients in the active treatment group reported compromised functional scale scores (global health status/quality of life, QLQ-C30) and worse symptoms (blood and mucus in stool, QLQ-CR29) than those in the follow-up group. Similar results were found in comparisons based on Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status and Bristol Stool Scale: higher physical function/sexual interest, less fatigue/urine frequency symptoms for patients with the lowest ECOG Performance Status (Grade 0), and borderline worse stool frequency scores from Types 5 and 6 patients on the Bristol Stool Scale.ConclusionThe study validated the Taiwan Chinese version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CR29. The clinical applicability warrants further studies with greater number of participants.
Highlights
The increasing incidence of colorectal cancer in Taiwan has generated a need for a disease-specific quality-of-life measuring instrument
Health-related quality of life has become an indispensable component of outcomes research, for cancer therapy
Translation of the Taiwan Chinese version of the EORTC QLQ-CR29 Traditional Chinese (Mandarin) language used in Taiwan is linguistically different from the Simplified Chinese used in Mainland China
Summary
The increasing incidence of colorectal cancer in Taiwan has generated a need for a disease-specific quality-of-life measuring instrument. The concepts of quality of life and patient-centered outcomes have become popular in medical communities; the wide application of quality-of-life investigations remains an obstacle for most clinicians due to the limited validation studies performed to date and the lack of diseasespecific measuring instruments. Health-related quality of life has become an indispensable component of outcomes research, for cancer therapy. The burden of colorectal cancer is rapidly increasing due to the high incidence and consequences of cancer therapy. Patients who survived colorectal cancer therapies may continue to suffer from physical or psychological problems [3]. Development and validation of a measuring instrument is an urgent requirement for medical professionals and cancer patients
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