[Utility of the questionnaire for quality of life EORTC-QLQ-C30 in psycho-oncological outcome research].

Aim of this paper is to examine the utility and validity of the questionnaire for quality of life EORTC-QLQ-C30 (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer). Data were collected within the scope of a study for evaluation of individual psycho-oncological support for inpatients with colorectal cancer undergoing surgery. The study was sponsored by the German Cancer Aid. The design was a prospective randomized controlled trial. After informed consent, patients were randomized in one of two groups: patients in the experimental group received individualized psychotherapeutic support during the hospital stay; those in the control group received a daily program of classical music. All patients were assessed one day before surgical treatment, ten days and three months after surgery. Instruments were questionnaires for quality of life and state anxiety. 106 patients met the inclusion criteria. Results show insufficient discriminative power (high significant bivariate correlations between most EORTC scales, Kendalls tau-b) and insufficient construct validity (high and significant bivariate correlations between most EORTC scales and state anxiety, Kendalls tau-b) of the EORTC scales. The scores of "cognitive functioning" and some symptom scales show an insufficient scatter. The illustration of situational influences and therefore an insufficient illustration of effects of specific interventions are connected with a high sensitivity of the scales and a tendency to extreme sores. The psycho-oncological intervention shows a significant stress reducing effect on the specific EORTC-scale "Emotional Functioning" and on State Anxiety (STAI). The testing of utility and validity of the EORTC-Questionnaire shows that they are insufficient and therefore the benefit for evaluation of specific intervention procedures is restricted.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes