Patients' acceptance and psychometric properties of the EORTC QLQ-CX24 after surgery.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate patients' acceptance and the reliability and validity of a recently developed instrument to assess quality of life among cervical cancer patients, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Cervical Cancer Module (EORTC QLQ-CX24), in surgically treated patients after primary surgery.


METHODS
The EORTC QLQ-CX24 was administered to 134 cervical cancer patients who had undergone pelvic surgery. Additional questionnaires completed were the EORTC QLQ-C30, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Sociodemographic and medical data were recorded.


RESULTS
Missing values occurred in 4.5% of all non-optional items. Internal consistencies (Cronbach's alpha coefficients) for the three multi-item scales ranged from 0.70 to 0.87 (Symptom Experience 0.70, Body Image 0.87, Sexual/Vaginal Functioning 0.76), whereas scaling errors occurred in 6.8%, 0.0%, and 6.3% of the cases. In all domains, the entire range of the scale was used by patients. The scales were able to discriminate between different subgroups of patients.


CONCLUSIONS
These psychometric analyses confirm that the EORTC QLQ-CX24 is a useful tool for the assessment of quality of life in cervical cancer patients after surgery.
Singer
Susanne
S
Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Germany. susanne.singer@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Kuhnt
Susanne
S
Momenghalibaf
Azadeh
A
Stuhr
Claudia
C
Dimmel-Hennersdorf
Ute
U
Köhler
Uwe
U
Einenkel
Jens
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*