Measuring quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer: Update of the EORTC QLQ-H&N Module, Phase III.
BACKGROUND
The objective of this study was to pilot test an updated version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Head and Neck Module (EORTC QLQ-H&N60).


METHODS
Patients with head and neck cancer were asked to complete a list of 60 head and neck cancer-specific items comprising the updated EORTC head and neck module and the core questionnaire EORTC QLQ-C30. Debriefing interviews were conducted to identify any irrelevant items and confusing or upsetting wording.


RESULTS
Interviews were performed with 330 patients from 17 countries, representing different head and neck cancer sites and treatments. Forty-one of the 60 items were retained according to the predefined EORTC criteria for module development, for another 2 items the wording was refined, and 17 items were removed.


CONCLUSIONS
The preliminary EORTC QLQ-H&N43 can now be used in academic research. Psychometrics will be tested in a larger field study.
Division of Epidemiology and Health Services Research, Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, University Medical Centre of Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
Susanne
S
Singer
Head and Neck Unit, Department of Surgical Oncology, Instituto Português de Oncologia Francisco Gentil do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Cláudia
C
Araújo
Oncology Departments, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
Juan Ignacio
JI
Arraras
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Ingo
I
Baumann
Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Andreas
A
Boehm
Department of Oral Surgery and Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Bente
B
Brokstad Herlofson
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Instituto Português de Oncologia Francisco Gentil do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Joaquim
J
Castro Silva
Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taiwan.
Wei-Chu
WC
Chie
Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
Sheila
S
Fisher
Clinic of Otorhinolaryngology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
Orlando
O
Guntinas-Lichius
Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Eva
E
Hammerlid
Quality Of Life Department, Instituto Oncológico Fundación Arturo López Pérez, Santiago, Chile.
María Elisa
ME
Irarrázaval
Regional Centre for Excellence in Palliative Care, Department of Oncology, Oslo Universitetssykehus, Oslo, Norway and European Palliative Care Research Centre, Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Marianne
M
Jensen Hjermstad
Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Kenneth
K
Jensen
Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Kobe University Hospital, Kobe, Japan.
Naomi
N
Kiyota
Department of Medical Oncology, Fondaczione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milano, Italy.
Lisa
L
Licitra
Clinic of Hospital Dentistry, Dental Oncology Unit, School of Dentistry, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Ourania
O
Nicolatou-Galitis
Deapartment of Quality of Life, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori "Fondazione Giovanni Pascale" - IRCCS, Naples, Italy.
Monica
M
Pinto
Radiation Oncology Department, Brasilia University Hospital, Brasilia, Brazil.
Marcos
M
Santos
Department of Radiation Therapy, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany.
Claudia
C
Schmalz
Behavioral Medicine Division, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Allen C
AC
Sherman
Department of Medical Didactics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland.
Iwona M
IM
Tomaszewska
Department of Otolaryngology / Head and Neck Surgery, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Department of Clinical Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Irma
I
Verdonck de Leeuw
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel and Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Noam
N
Yarom
Department of Psychology, National Cancer Institute CRO-Aviano, Aviano, Italy.
Paola
P
Zotti
Department of Medical Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Dirk
D
Hofmeister
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012955:Societies, Medical; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemoradiation; head and neck neoplasms; larynx; multimodal therapies; oral cavity; pharynx; quality of life