Oncology Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Oncology, including details on cancer, surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy.

Validation of single-item linear analog scale assessment of quality of life in neuro-oncology patients.

Locke DE, Decker PA, Sloan JA, Brown PD, Malec JF, Clark MM, Rummans TA, Ballman KV, Schaefer PL, Buckner JC

Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona.

Assessment of patient quality of life (QOL) requires balancing the details provided by multi-item assessments with the reduced burden of single-item assessments. In this project, we investigated the psychometric properties of single-item Linear Analog Scale Assessments (LASAs) for patients with newly diagnosed high-grade gliomas. Measures included QOL LASAs (overall, physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual), Symptom Distress Scale (SDS), Profile of Mood States (POMS; overall, confusion, fatigue), and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain (FACT-Br; overall, brain, physical, emotional). Associations of LASA measures with SDS, POMS, and FACT-Br domains and with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score (PS) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were assessed. Repeated measures ANOVA models compared the change over time of LASAs and SDS, POMS, and FACT-Br. Two hundred five patients completed the assessments across three time points. To allow comparison across measures, all scores were converted to a scale of 0-100, with higher scores indicating better QOL. LASA mean scores ranged from 60 to 78; SDS, POMS, and FACT-Br ranged from 62 to 81. FACT-Br physical (P<0.001) and POMS fatigue subscale (P=0.005) decreased over time, as did LASA physical (P=0.08). LASA scales were strongly associated with corresponding scales on SDS, POMS, and FACT-Br (0.44<rho<0.65; P<0.001). LASA was negatively associated with PS and positively with MMSE, with associations similar in magnitude to the other QOL and psychosocial measures. The data suggest that the single-item LASA scales are valid for assessing QOL of cancer patients and are an appropriate alternative when a shorter instrument is warranted.

Published 6 December 2007 in J Pain Symptom Manage, 34(6): 628-38.
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