Health-related quality of life: changes in children undergoing chemotherapy.
BACKGROUND
Information regarding changes in the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of children during chemotherapy is scarce. Furthermore, there exists a general lack of consensus as to which measures are best suited to assess changes in HRQL in this population. The purpose of this study is to compare the responsiveness of 3 pediatric HRQL measures: the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), the Child's Health Questionnaire (CHQ), and the Health Utilities Index (HUI).


METHODS
Consecutive pediatric oncology patients and their parents completed the questionnaires at 1-week intervals for a total of 4 weeks, starting on the third day of the patient's chemotherapy treatment cycle.


RESULTS
Twenty-nine patients were enrolled with the majority (62%) having a diagnosis of leukemia with an average age of 9 years. The parent proxy reports from time 1 to 4 showed a mean change in the PedsQL of 17 for the generic core scale and 12 for the cancer specific module. The mean change in CHQ physical functioning scale was 6, while the psychosocial scale was only 2, while the HUI 2 was 3 (x100), and HUI 3 was 4 (x100). There was significantly more change in the PedsQL generic scores when compared with the HUI 2 and 3 and the CHQ psychosocial scale (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
When measuring HRQL repeatedly in a heterogeneous population, the PedsQL is the measure most responsive to change.
Banks
Brie Ann
BA
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Barrowman
Nicholas J
NJ
Klaassen
Robert
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents