title: Validation of a needs-based biopsychosocial distress instrument for cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  People with cancer may experience distress related to diagnoses, disease-related symptoms, and treatment side effects. Assessment of cancer-related needs can facilitate timely triage and intervention and contribute to individualized comprehensive cancer care. This study assessed the internal consistency, test-retest reliability and construct validity of the Cancer Needs Distress Inventory (CaNDI), a self-report, needs-based measure of cancer-related distress.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 100 patients (27% male) with various cancer diagnoses completed the CaNDI, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Brief Symptom Inventory, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General, and the Paulhus Deception Scales.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CaNDI total and depressive and anxiety subscale scores all demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability and moderate to high correlations with other measures of these constructs. The instrument was minimally confounded by social desirability and provided high sensitivity and specificity in detecting depression and anxiety.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Initial results suggest that the CaNDI has strong psychometric properties and may be a useful addition to cancer patient needs assessment, research and care.
authors.affiliation: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10022, USA. lowerya@mskcc.org
authors.forename: Amy E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Lowery
authors.forename: Melanie A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: Sharon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Danielle R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Casden
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Loscalzo
authors.forename: Wayne A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Bardwell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012928:Social Desirability; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires