title: Italian version of the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory--Head and Neck Module: linguistic validation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients can experience symptoms due to the tumor itself or to the treatment, with an impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures pertaining to HRQoL are used in medical research and to support clinical decisions. PRO instrument applicability and cultural adaptation must be tested for each population. The aim of this study is to linguistically validate the Italian translation of the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory--Head and Neck Module (MDASI-HN).
  
  
  METHODS
  Following forward and backward translation of the items of the English MDASI-HN into Italian, it was administered along with a cognitive debriefing to HNC patients able to read and understand Italian language. Individual and group responses are presented using descriptive statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From May 2013 through September 2013, 56 patients with HNC (18 during curative treatment, 20 in palliative chemotherapy, and 18 in follow-up period) completed the MDASI-HN followed by accompanying cognitive debriefing. Ninety-nine percent of the individual MDASI-HN items were completed. Average time to complete the MDASI-HN was 8.5 min (range 3-15). Results suggested overall ease of completion, relevance, and comprehensibleness of this translated self-report instrument in this Italian patient population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Italian version of the MDASI-HN is linguistically valid; future research should explore dimensionality, reliability, and convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity of this patient-reported instrument, in order to use this translated version in outcomes research and clinical settings.
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Milan "Bicocca", Milan, Italy.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Greco
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Orlandi
authors: Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Mirabile
authors: Unit of Radiotherapy, Policlinico Umberto I, University "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Takanen
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Fallai
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors: N A
authors: NA
authors: Iacovelli
authors: Medical Ethics Committees of the Teaching Hospital "S. Croce e Carle", Cuneo, Italy.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Rimedio
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Teaching Hospital "S. Croce e Carle", Cuneo, Italy.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Russi
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Milan "Bicocca", Milan, Italy.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Sala
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Milan "Bicocca", Milan, Italy.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Monzani
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
authors: D I
authors: DI
authors: Rosenthal
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
authors: G B
authors: GB
authors: Gunn
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Milan "Bicocca", Milan, Italy.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Steca
authors: Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Licitra
authors: Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy. paolo.bossi@istitutotumori.mi.it.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Bossi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D007802:Language; D008037:Linguistics / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report; D063189:Symptom Assessment / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D014177:Translations; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Head and neck cancer; Italian MDASI-HN; Patient symptoms; Patient-reported outcome