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- Petersen, M. A., et al.
(författare)
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The EORTC CAT Core-The computer adaptive version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire
- 2018
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Ingår i: European Journal of Cancer. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-8049. ; 100, s. 8-16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: To optimise measurement precision, relevance to patients and flexibility, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) should ideally be adapted to the individual patient/study while retaining direct comparability of scores across patients/studies. This is achievable using item banks and computerised adaptive tests (CATs). The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (QLQ-C30) is one of the most widely used PROMs in cancer research and clinical practice. Here we provide an overview of the research program to develop CAT versions of the QLQ-C30's 14 functional and symptom domains. Methods: The EORTC Quality of Life Group's strategy for developing CAT item banks consists of: literature search to identify potential candidate items; formulation of new items compatible with the QLQ-C30 item style; expert evaluations and patient interviews; field-testing and psychometric analyses, including factor analysis, item response theory calibration and simulation of measurement properties. In addition, software for setting up, running and scoring CAT has been developed. Results: Across eight rounds of data collections, 9782 patients were recruited from 12 countries for the field-testing. The four phases of development resulted in a total of 260 unique items across the 14 domains. Each item bank consists of 7-34 items. Psychometric evaluations indicated higher measurement precision and increased statistical power of the CAT measures compared to the QLQ-C30 scales. Using CAT, sample size requirements may be reduced by approximately 20-35% on average without loss of power. Conclusions: The EORTC CAT Core represents a more precise, powerful and flexible measurement system than the QLQ-C30. It is currently being validated in a large independent, international sample of cancer patients. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 2. |
- Ekström, M., et al.
(författare)
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Who experiences higher and increasing breathlessness in advanced cancer? The longitudinal EPCCS Study
- 2016
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Ingår i: Supportive Care in Cancer. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0941-4355 .- 1433-7339. ; 24:9, s. 3803-3811
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: Breathlessness is a major cause of suffering in advanced cancer. We aimed to determine the symptom trajectory in people with advanced cancer and to identify those at increased risk of experiencing higher or increasing breathlessness over time in advanced cancer. Patients and methods: This was an analysis of the multinational, prospective, longitudinal European Palliative Care Cancer Symptom (EPCCS) study. We included adults with confirmed incurable cancer enrolled in palliative care, with prospective monthly assessments for up to 6 months, withdrawal or death, whichever came first. Symptom severity (0–10 numerical rating scales) was analyzed using multivariate random coefficients regression. Results: A total of 1689 patients (50 % women; mean age 65.7 ± [standard deviation; SD] 12.4 years) were included. Main diagnoses were digestive (31 %), lung (20 %), and breast (17 %) cancers. During a median follow-up of 62 (interquartile range, 0 to 133) days, 65 % were breathless at some point and 36 % of all patients reported moderate/severe breathlessness. The group mean (1.6 points; SD, 2.4) was unchanged over time, but the severity varied markedly between patients and over time. Independent predictors for worse breathlessness were COPD, lung cancer, living alone, lung metastases, anxiety, pain, depression, and lower performance status. Predictors of worsening breathlessness over time were low performance status (p = 0.039) and moderate to severe pain (p = 0.012). Conclusion: In the largest longitudinal clinical study to date in advanced cancer alone, breathlessness was frequent and associated with factors including respiratory disease, other concurrent unpleasant symptoms, and impaired performance status. Increase in severity over time was predicted by performance status and pain.
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| 5. |
- Brændengen, Morten, et al.
(författare)
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Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after multimodal treatment for primarily non-resectable rectal cancer : Long-term results from a phase III study
- 2012
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Ingår i: European Journal of Cancer. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-8049 .- 1879-0852. ; 48:6, s. 813-819
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: A randomised study in non-resectable rectal cancer showed that preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) resulted in better local control and disease-specific survival, but not overall survival than radiotherapy alone. The present paper presents long-term (>4years) health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and a comparison between the results and reference values from the Norwegian general population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 207 patients with primarily non-resectable rectal cancer were randomised to preoperative CRT (2Gyx25+5FU/leucovorin) or RT (2Gyx25) before surgery. HRQoL was assessed using EORTC QLQ-C30, completed at baseline and sent to all patients alive in Norway and Sweden (n=105) after a minimum of 4years post treatment. A difference of ⩾5 points on the 0-100 scales was considered clinically significant. RESULTS: Seventy-six (72%) patients answered at follow-up. No statistically significant differences between the CRT and RT groups appeared at follow-up, although clinically significant differences in social functioning, dyspnoea and diarrhoea were found. Over time, a clinically significant reduction in physical functioning was found in both groups. Moreover, reduced social functioning and less diarrhoea in the CRT group and better role functioning and more diarrhoea in the RT group were found. Comparisons between the study group and age and gender matched reference values indicate impaired social functioning and more diarrhoea among the patients. CONCLUSION: There were no statistically significant differences in HRQoL between the randomisation groups. In general, despite having impaired social functioning and more diarrhoea, patients reported HRQoL comparable with the reference population several years after treatment.
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| 6. |
- Johannsdottir, Inga M. R., et al.
(författare)
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Increased prevalence of chronic fatigue among survivors of childhood cancers: A population-based study
- 2012
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Ingår i: Pediatric Blood & Cancer. - : Wiley. - 1545-5017 .- 1545-5009. ; 58:3, s. 415-420
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Fatigue is prevalent in adult cancer survivors but less studied in childhood cancer survivors. Aims were to assess fatigue levels, prevalence of chronic fatigue (CF) and the association of CF with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in survivors of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), infratentorial astrocytoma (IA), and Wilms tumor (WT) in childhood.
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| 7. |
- Johannsdottir, Inga M. R., et al.
(författare)
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Social outcomes in young adult survivors of low incidence childhood cancers
- 2010
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Ingår i: Journal of Cancer Survivorship. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1932-2267 .- 1932-2259. ; 4:2, s. 110-118
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction The intensity and duration of childhood cancer treatment may disrupt psychosocial development and thereby cause difficulties in transition into adulthood. The study objective was to assess social outcomes in early adulthood after successful treatment for childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML), Wilms tumor (WT) and infratentorial astrocytoma (IA). Methods Nordic patients treated for AML, WT and IA from 1985 to 2001 identified from a database administered by NOPHO (Nordic Society of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology) were invited to participate in a postal survey. All cancer-free survivors treated at age > 1 year who were > 19 years at time of study were eligible. Seventy-four percent; 247/335 responded. An age-equivalent group (N= 1,814) from a Norwegian Census Study served as controls. Results Mean age of survivors was 23 years (range 1934), 55% females. The proportion with academic education (>= 4 years) was similar in survivors and controls (28 vs. 32%). Fifty-nine percent of survivors were employed compared to 77% among controls (p <. 01). More survivors were recipients of social benefits (6.7 vs. 3.1%, p <. 01). There were no differences in marital status but parenthood was more common among controls (37 vs. 27%, p=. 01). Controls lived longer in their parental homes (p=. 01). Cancer type or treatment intensity had no statistically significant impact on results, except for parenthood. Conclusions and Implications for Cancer Survivors The study revealed important differences in social outcomes between survivors and controls early in adult life. Specific difficulties pertain to studying social status in early adulthood because of the natural transition characteristics for this age group. Therefore, longer follow-up is warranted.
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