The EORTC ophthalmic oncology quality of life questionnaire module (EORTC QLQ-OPT30). Development and pre-testing (Phase I-III).
OBJECTIVE
The research objective was to develop a questionnaire module to be used, in addition to the European Organisation into Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30, for measurement of quality of life (QL) among patients with uveal melanoma treated with methods such as transpupillary thermotherapy, plaque radiotherapy, proton beam radiotherapy, local resection, and enucleation. The present paper describes the development through Phases I-III.


METHODS
Relevant QL issues were generated from literature search and from interviews with ophthalmologists, nurses, and patients with uveal melanoma representing three major treatment options: enucleation, plaque brachytherapy, and proton beam therapy.


RESULTS
The provisional module was pretested in 61 patients from Finland, Sweden, and UK. The EORTC QLQ-OPT30 module consists of 26 items for all patients, and four additional items for patients receiving treatments other than enucleation. It measures ocular irritation, vision impairment, headache, worry about recurrent disease, problems with driving, problems with appearance functional problems due to vision impairment, and problems reading.


CONCLUSIONS
Several treatment modalities are available for uveal melanoma. There is limited knowledge of the impact of these treatments on QL in the long and short term. We hope that the OPT30 module together with the EORTC QLQ-C30 core questionnaire can be a useful tool in research.
Brandberg
Y
Y
Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. yvonne.brandberg@onkpat.ki.se
Damato
B
B
Kivelä
T
T
Kock
E
E
Seregard
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001334:Automobile Driving; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011932:Reading; D012008:Recurrence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014604:Uveal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000150:complications