TY - JOUR

T1 - Content validity of the EORTC quality of life questionnaire QLQ-C30 for use in cancer

AU - Cocks, Kim

AU - Wells, Jane R

AU - Johnson, Colin

AU - Schmidt, Heike

AU - Koller, Michael

AU - Oerlemans, Simone

AU - Velikova, Galina

AU - Pinto, Monica

AU - Tomaszewski, Krzysztof A

AU - Aaronson, Neil K

AU - Exall, Elizabeth

AU - Finbow, Chelsea

AU - Fitzsimmons, Deborah

AU - Grant, Laura

AU - Grønvold, Mogens

AU - Tolley, Chloe

AU - Wheelwright, Sally

AU - Bottomley, Andrew

AU - European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Group

N1 - Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - AIM: The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (QLQ-C30) is among the most widely used patient-reported outcome measures in cancer research and practice. It was developed prior to guidance that content should be established directly from patients to confirm it measures concepts of interest and is appropriate and comprehensive for the intended population. This study evaluated the content validity of the QLQ-C30 for use with cancer patients.METHODS: Adults undergoing cancer treatment in Europe and the USA participated in open-ended concept elicitation interviews regarding their functional health, symptoms, side-effects and impacts on health-related quality of life. Thematic analysis was conducted, and similarities across cancer types, disease stages and countries or languages were explored.RESULTS: Interviews with 113 patients with cancer (85 European, 28 USA) including breast, lung, prostate, colorectal and other cancers were conducted between 2016 and 2020. Conceptual saturation was achieved. The most frequently reported concepts were included in the QLQ-C30 conceptual framework. QLQ-C30 items were widely understood across language versions and were relevant to patients across cancer types and disease stages. While several new concepts were elicited such as difficulty climbing steps or stairs, weight loss, skin problems and numbness, many were not widely experienced and/or could be considered sub-concepts of existing concepts.CONCLUSIONS: The QLQ-C30 demonstrates good evidence of content validity for the assessment of functional health, symptom burden and health-related quality of life in patients with localised-to-advanced cancer.

AB - AIM: The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (QLQ-C30) is among the most widely used patient-reported outcome measures in cancer research and practice. It was developed prior to guidance that content should be established directly from patients to confirm it measures concepts of interest and is appropriate and comprehensive for the intended population. This study evaluated the content validity of the QLQ-C30 for use with cancer patients.METHODS: Adults undergoing cancer treatment in Europe and the USA participated in open-ended concept elicitation interviews regarding their functional health, symptoms, side-effects and impacts on health-related quality of life. Thematic analysis was conducted, and similarities across cancer types, disease stages and countries or languages were explored.RESULTS: Interviews with 113 patients with cancer (85 European, 28 USA) including breast, lung, prostate, colorectal and other cancers were conducted between 2016 and 2020. Conceptual saturation was achieved. The most frequently reported concepts were included in the QLQ-C30 conceptual framework. QLQ-C30 items were widely understood across language versions and were relevant to patients across cancer types and disease stages. While several new concepts were elicited such as difficulty climbing steps or stairs, weight loss, skin problems and numbness, many were not widely experienced and/or could be considered sub-concepts of existing concepts.CONCLUSIONS: The QLQ-C30 demonstrates good evidence of content validity for the assessment of functional health, symptom burden and health-related quality of life in patients with localised-to-advanced cancer.

U2 - 10.1016/j.ejca.2022.10.026

DO - 10.1016/j.ejca.2022.10.026

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36436330

VL - 178

SP - 128

EP - 138

JO - European Journal of Cancer, Supplement

JF - European Journal of Cancer, Supplement

SN - 0959-8049

ER -