Cancer-specific Quality Of Life Instrument Research Articles

Comparison of generic and lung cancer-specific quality of life instruments for predictive ability of survival in patients with advanced lung cancer.

BackgroundOur purpose is to examine the relationship of Health related quality of life measured by EORTC QLQc30, QLQ-LC13; FACT-L, LCSS, Eq5D) with survival in advanced lung cancer patients. A total of 299 Lung Cancer (LC) patients were, included in this national multicenter Project entitled of “the LC Quality of Life Project (AKAYAK). Baseline scores were analyzed by using Cox’s proportional hazard regression to identify factors that influenced survival. Univariate and multivariate models were run for each of the scales included in the study.ResultsMean and median survival were 12.5 and 8.0 months respectively. Clinical stage (as TNM), comorbidity; symptom scales of fatigue, insomnia, appetit loss and constipation were associated with survival after adjustment for age and sex. Global, physical and role functioning scales of QLQc30; physical and functional scales of LCS and TOI of the FACT-L was also associated with survival. Mobility and Usual activities dimensions of the Eq5D; Physical functioning and the constipation symptom scale of the QLQ-c30; and LCS and TOI scores of the FACT-L remained statistically significant after adjustment. LC13 and LCSS scales were not predictors of survival.ConclusionsHRQOL serves as an additional predictive factor for survival that supplements traditional clinical factors. Besides the strong predictive ability of ECOG on survival, FACT-L and the Eq5D are the most promising HRQOL instruments for this purpose.

Mapping the FACT-G cancer-specific quality of life instrument to the EQ-5D and SF-6D

ObjectiveTo help facilitate economic evaluations of oncology treatments, we mapped responses on cancer-specific instrument to generic preference-based measures.MethodsCancer patients (n = 367) completed one cancer-specific instrument, the FACT-G, and two preference-based measures, the EQ-5D and SF-6D. Responses were randomly divided to form development (n = 184) and cross-validation (n = 183) samples. Relationships between the instruments were estimated using ordinary least squares (OLS), generalized linear models (GLM), and censored least absolute deviations (CLAD) regression approaches. The performance of each model was assessed in terms of how well the responses to the cancer-specific instrument predicted EQ-5D and SF-6D utilities using mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean squared error (RMSE).ResultsPhysical, functional, and emotional well-being domain scores of the FACT-G best explained the EQ-5D and SF-6D. In terms of accuracy of prediction as measured in RMSE, the CLAD model performed best for the EQ-5D (RMSE = 0.095) whereas the GLM model performed best for the SF-6D (RMSE = 0.061). The GLM predicted SF-6D scores matched the observed values more closely than the CLAD and OLS.ConclusionOur results demonstrate that the estimation of both EQ-5D and SF-6D utility indices using the FACT-G responses can be achieved. The CLAD model for the EQ-5D and the GLM model for the SF-6D are recommended. Thus, it is possible to estimate quality-adjusted life years for economic evaluation from studies where only cancer-specific instrument have been administered.

Order effects: a randomised study of three major cancer-specific quality of life instruments.

BackgroundIn methodological studies and outcomes research, questionnaires often comprise several health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures. Previous psychological studies have suggested that changing the sequential order of measurement scales within a questionnaire could alter the pattern of responses. Yet, information on the presence or absence of order effects on the assessment of HRQoL in cancer patients is limited.MethodsAn incomplete block design was used in this study of 1277 cancer patients. Each patient filled out a questionnaire package that contained two of the three major cancer-specific HRQoL instruments, namely the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – General, the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Functional Living Index – Cancer. Within a questionnaire package the sequential order of the instruments contained were randomised. Measurement properties of the instruments, including the number of missing values, mean HRQoL scores, known-groups validity and internal consistency were compared between samples of different presentation orders.ResultsNo effect of presentation order on the four properties aforementioned was found.ConclusionPresentation order is unlikely to alter the responses to these HRQoL instruments administered in cancer patients when any two of them are used together.

Calidad de vida en pacientes tratados mediante laringectomía parcial supracricoidea con cricohioidoepiglotopexia (chep)

ObjectivesTo assess quality of life in patients diagnosed with epidermoid carcinoma of the larynx, after supracricoid partial laryngectomy (SCPL) with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy (CHEP). To examine how quality-of-life may be associated to the treatment received: neck dissection, decannulation and radiotherapy Patients and methodA descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted involving 26 patients out of a group of 51. They were all males with an average age of 61.7 years at the time of the interview. We used the disease-specific quality of life questionnaire devised by the University of Michigan: the Head and Neck Cancer-specific Quality of life instrument (HNQOL) ResultsDuring an average follow-up period of 83.65 months, 2 patients (3,92 %) suffered a recurrence. Estimated survival after 3, 5 and 10 years was 95,83%. Communication and overall disturbances caused by treatment were found to be the two quality-of-life domains mainly affected. Generally speaking, patients who had received radiotherapy, those who had not had their tracheal cannula removed or those that had undergone neck dissection were the most affected ConclusionsSCPL with CHEP as a surgical technique allows good control of the condition and has a low impact on the patient’s quality of life

Assessing the quality of life of HIV infected persons: Clinical and descriptive information from studies with the hopes

Abstract We have recently developed and psychometrically evaluated an HIV-specific quality of life instrument. The new instrument is called the HIV Overview of Problems-Evaluation System (HOPES) which was adapted from an established cancer-specific quality of life instrument called the CARES. In this paper we review the psychometric properties of the HOPES, examine the quality of life impact of HIV infection in a cross-sectional evaluation of 318 patients using data from the HOPES and describe other work in progress or planned using the HOPES.