BACKGROUND: Anorexia is a common symptom in patients with cancer, which can lead to poor tolerance of treatment and can contribute to cachexia in extreme cases. Children with advanced-stage cancer are especially vulnerable to malnutrition resulting from anorexia and cachexia. Currently, there are no instruments that measure common concerns specifically associated with anorexia and cachexia in children with cancer. The purpose of the current article was to test the psychometric properties of a newly developed pediatric Functional Assessment of Anorexia and Cachexia Therapy (peds-FAACT) for children with cancer. METHODS: Ninety-six patients (ages 7-17 yrs) receiving cancer treatment and their parents were asked to complete the 12-item peds-FAACT. The authors implemented both classical test theory and item response theory to evaluate the agreement between parents and patients, internal consistency and unidimensionality of the scale, and stability of items across subgroups. RESULTS: As a result, a patient-reported six-item scale was recommended as the core measure for all pediatric patients with cancer and four additional peripheral items were recommended for adolescent patients. CONCLUSIONS: The peds-FAACT demonstrated good psychometric properties, differentiated patients with different functional performance status, and was determined to be a useful tool for future clinical trials.
BACKGROUND:Anorexia is a common symptom in patients with cancer, which can lead to poor tolerance of treatment and can contribute to cachexia in extreme cases. Children with advanced-stage cancer are especially vulnerable to malnutrition resulting from anorexia and cachexia. Currently, there are no instruments that measure common concerns specifically associated with anorexia and cachexia in children with cancer. The purpose of the current article was to test the psychometric properties of a newly developed pediatric Functional Assessment of Anorexia and Cachexia Therapy (peds-FAACT) for children with cancer. METHODS: Ninety-six patients (ages 7-17 yrs) receiving cancer treatment and their parents were asked to complete the 12-item peds-FAACT. The authors implemented both classical test theory and item response theory to evaluate the agreement between parents and patients, internal consistency and unidimensionality of the scale, and stability of items across subgroups. RESULTS: As a result, a patient-reported six-item scale was recommended as the core measure for all pediatric patients with cancer and four additional peripheral items were recommended for adolescent patients. CONCLUSIONS: The peds-FAACT demonstrated good psychometric properties, differentiated patients with different functional performance status, and was determined to be a useful tool for future clinical trials.
Authors: Laura C Pinheiro; Molly McFatrich; Nicole Lucas; Jennifer S Walker; Janice S Withycombe; Pamela S Hinds; Lillian Sung; Deborah Tomlinson; David R Freyer; Jennifer W Mack; Justin N Baker; Bryce B Reeve Journal: Qual Life Res Date: 2017-09-06 Impact factor: 4.147
Authors: Jin-Shei Lai; Zeeshan Butt; Frank Zelko; David Cella; Kevin R Krull; Mark W Kieran; Stewart Goldman Journal: J Pediatr Psychol Date: 2011-03-04
Authors: Samantha J Anthony; Enid Selkirk; Lillian Sung; Robert J Klaassen; David Dix; Katrin Scheinemann; Anne F Klassen Journal: Qual Life Res Date: 2013-08-02 Impact factor: 4.147
Authors: Jin-Shei Lai; Jennifer L Beaumont; Cindy J Nowinski; David Cella; William F Hartsell; John Han-Chih Chang; Peter E Manley; Stewart Goldman Journal: J Pain Symptom Manage Date: 2017-08-08 Impact factor: 3.612
Authors: Samantha C Sodergren; Olga Husson; Jessica Robinson; Gudrun E Rohde; Iwona M Tomaszewska; Bella Vivat; Rebecca Dyar; Anne-Sophie Darlington Journal: Qual Life Res Date: 2017-03-01 Impact factor: 4.147