Stephanie L Pugh1, Gwen Wyatt2, Raimond K W Wong3, Stephen M Sagar3, Bevan Yueh4, Anurag K Singh5, Min Yao6, Phuc Felix Nguyen-Tan7, Sue S Yom8, Francis S Cardinale9, Khalil Sultanem10, D Ian Hodson3, Greg A Krempl11, Ariel Chavez12, Alexander M Yeh13, Deborah W Bruner14. 1. NRG Oncology Statistics and Data Management Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Electronic address: pughs@nrgoncology.org. 2. Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA. 3. Juravinski Cancer Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. 4. University of Minnesota/Masonic Cancer Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. 5. Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York, USA. 6. Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. 7. CHUM-Hôpital Notre-Dame, Montréal, Quebec, Canada. 8. UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA. 9. Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. 10. McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada. 11. University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. 12. John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, Illinois, USA. 13. Indiana University Hospital/Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. 14. Emory University/Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Abstract
CONTEXT: The 15-item University of Washington Quality of Life questionnaire-Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) modification (UW-QOL-RTOG modification) has been used in several trials of head and neck cancer conducted by NRG Oncology such as RTOG 9709, RTOG 9901, RTOG 0244, and RTOG 0537. OBJECTIVES: This study is an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to establish validity and reliability of the instrument subscales. METHODS: EFA on the UW-QOL-RTOG modification was conducted using baseline data from NRG Oncology's RTOG 0537, a trial of acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in treating radiation-induced xerostomia. Cronbach α coefficient was calculated to measure reliability; correlation with the University of Michigan Xerostomia Related Quality of Life Scale was used to evaluate concurrent validity; and correlations between consecutive time points were used to assess test-retest reliability. RESULTS: The 15-item EFA of the modified tool resulted in 11 items split into four factors: mucus, eating, pain, and activities. Cronbach α ranged from 0.71 to 0.93 for the factors and total score, consisting of all 11 items. There were strong correlations (ρ ≥ 0.60) between consecutive time points and between total score and the Xerostomia Related Quality of Life Scale total score (ρ > 0.65). CONCLUSION: The UW-QOL-RTOG modification is a valid tool that can be used to assess symptom burden of head and neck cancer patients receiving radiation therapy or those who have recently completed radiation. The modified tool has acceptable reliability, concurrent validity, and test-retest reliability in this patient population, as well as the advantage of having being shortened from 15 to 11 items.
CONTEXT: The 15-item University of Washington Quality of Life questionnaire-Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) modification (UW-QOL-RTOG modification) has been used in several trials of head and neck cancer conducted by NRG Oncology such as RTOG 9709, RTOG 9901, RTOG 0244, and RTOG 0537. OBJECTIVES: This study is an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to establish validity and reliability of the instrument subscales. METHODS:EFA on the UW-QOL-RTOG modification was conducted using baseline data from NRG Oncology's RTOG 0537, a trial of acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in treating radiation-induced xerostomia. Cronbach α coefficient was calculated to measure reliability; correlation with the University of Michigan Xerostomia Related Quality of Life Scale was used to evaluate concurrent validity; and correlations between consecutive time points were used to assess test-retest reliability. RESULTS: The 15-item EFA of the modified tool resulted in 11 items split into four factors: mucus, eating, pain, and activities. Cronbach α ranged from 0.71 to 0.93 for the factors and total score, consisting of all 11 items. There were strong correlations (ρ ≥ 0.60) between consecutive time points and between total score and the Xerostomia Related Quality of Life Scale total score (ρ > 0.65). CONCLUSION: The UW-QOL-RTOG modification is a valid tool that can be used to assess symptom burden of head and neck cancerpatients receiving radiation therapy or those who have recently completed radiation. The modified tool has acceptable reliability, concurrent validity, and test-retest reliability in this patient population, as well as the advantage of having being shortened from 15 to 11 items.
Authors: Gwen Wyatt; Stephanie L Pugh; Raimond K W Wong; Stephen Sagar; Anurag K Singh; Shlomo A Koyfman; Phuc F Nguyen-Tân; Sue S Yom; Francis S Cardinale; Khalil Sultanem; Ian Hodson; Greg A Krempl; Barbara Lukaszczyk; Alexander M Yeh; Lawrence Berk Journal: Qual Life Res Date: 2016-02-25 Impact factor: 4.147
Authors: Janice K Ryu; Suzanne Swann; Francis LeVeque; Charles W Scarantino; Darlene Johnson; Allan Chen; Andre Fortin; JonDavid Pollock; Harold Kim; Kian K Ang Journal: Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys Date: 2007-03-01 Impact factor: 7.038
Authors: Jacquelyn Fisher; Charles Scott; Charles W Scarantino; Fran G Leveque; Robert L White; Marvin Rotman; D I Hodson; Ruby F Meredith; Robert Foote; David G Bachman; Nancy Lee Journal: Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys Date: 2003-07-01 Impact factor: 7.038
Authors: Andy Trotti; Lisa A Bellm; Joel B Epstein; Diana Frame; Henry J Fuchs; Clement K Gwede; Eugene Komaroff; Luba Nalysnyk; Marya D Zilberberg Journal: Radiother Oncol Date: 2003-03 Impact factor: 6.280
Authors: Simon N Rogers; Suzanne Gwanne; Derek Lowe; Gerry Humphris; Beven Yueh; Ernest A Weymuller Journal: Head Neck Date: 2002-06 Impact factor: 3.147