title: Validity of the memorial symptom assessment scale-short form psychological subscales in advanced cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale-Short Form (MSAS-SF) is designed to evaluate physical and psychological symptom burden in advanced cancer patients. There are no current data assessing the validity of the MSAS-SF psychological symptom scores when compared with anxiety and depression.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This observational cross-sectional study was designed to determine the relationship between the MSAS-SF subscales and the presence of anxiety and depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Advanced cancer patients attending a U.K. oncology center completed the MSAS-SF and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred twenty patients participated in the study. There was an association between the presence of anxiety and depression and the MSAS-SF global distress index. There was no association between the presence of anxiety and depression and the MSAS-SF physical symptom subscale. The MSAS-SF psychological symptom subscale was more closely correlated with anxiety than depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results support the validity of the MSAS-SF global distress index and psychological subscales in the assessment of patients with anxiety and depressive disorders.
authors.affiliation: Royal Marsden NHS Hospitals Trust, London and Surrey, United Kingdom. kath.webber@rmh.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Webber
authors.forename: Andrew N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Davies
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D018450:Disease Progression; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012907:Smoking; D055815:Young Adult