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Head and neck cancer-specific quality of life: instrument validation.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Terrell, JE; Nanavati, KA; Esclamado, RM; Bishop, JK; Bradford, CR; Wolf, GT
Published in: Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg
October 1997

BACKGROUND: The disfigurement and dysfunction associated with head and neck cancer affect emotional well-being and some of the most basic functions of life. Most cancer-specific quality-of-life assessments give a single composite score for head and neck cancer-related quality of life. OBJECTIVE: To develop and evaluate an improved multidimensional instrument to assess head and neck cancer-related functional status and well-being. METHODS: The item selection process included literature review, interviews with health care workers, and patient surveys. A survey with 37 disease-specific questions and the SF-12 survey were administered to 253 patients in 3 large medical centers. Factor analysis was performed to identify disease-specific domains. Domain scores were calculated as the standardized score of the component items. These domains were assessed for construct validity based on clinical hypotheses and test-retest reliability. RESULTS: Four relevant domains were identified: Eating (6 items), Communication (4 items), Pain (4 items), and Emotion (6 items). Each had an internal consistency (Cronbach alpha value) of greater than 0.80. Construct validity was demonstrated by moderate correlations with the SF-12 Physical and Mental component scores (r=0.43-0.60). Test-retest reliability for each domain demonstrated strong reliability between the 2 time points. Correlations were strong for each individual question, ranging from 0.53 to 0.93. Construct validity testing demonstrated that the direction of differences for each domain were as hypothesized. CONCLUSION: The Head and Neck Quality of Life questionnaire is a promising multidimensional tool with which to assess head and neck cancer-specific quality of life.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg

DOI

ISSN

0886-4470

Publication Date

October 1997

Volume

123

Issue

10

Start / End Page

1125 / 1132

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Quality of Life
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Pain
  • Otorhinolaryngology
  • Humans
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
 

Citation

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MLA
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Terrell, J. E., Nanavati, K. A., Esclamado, R. M., Bishop, J. K., Bradford, C. R., & Wolf, G. T. (1997). Head and neck cancer-specific quality of life: instrument validation. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 123(10), 1125–1132. https://doi.org/10.1001/archotol.1997.01900100101014
Terrell, J. E., K. A. Nanavati, R. M. Esclamado, J. K. Bishop, C. R. Bradford, and G. T. Wolf. “Head and neck cancer-specific quality of life: instrument validation.Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 123, no. 10 (October 1997): 1125–32. https://doi.org/10.1001/archotol.1997.01900100101014.
Terrell JE, Nanavati KA, Esclamado RM, Bishop JK, Bradford CR, Wolf GT. Head and neck cancer-specific quality of life: instrument validation. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1997 Oct;123(10):1125–32.
Terrell, J. E., et al. “Head and neck cancer-specific quality of life: instrument validation.Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, vol. 123, no. 10, Oct. 1997, pp. 1125–32. Pubmed, doi:10.1001/archotol.1997.01900100101014.
Terrell JE, Nanavati KA, Esclamado RM, Bishop JK, Bradford CR, Wolf GT. Head and neck cancer-specific quality of life: instrument validation. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1997 Oct;123(10):1125–1132.

Published In

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg

DOI

ISSN

0886-4470

Publication Date

October 1997

Volume

123

Issue

10

Start / End Page

1125 / 1132

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Quality of Life
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Pain
  • Otorhinolaryngology
  • Humans
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical