A Systematic Review of Head and Neck Cancer Quality of Life Assessment Instruments
Oral Oncology
Ojo, B., Genden, E. M., et al. (2012).
Oral Oncology, 48(10), 923-937.
This systematic review investigates the psychometric properties of formally developed quality of life instruments specifically tested with the head and neck cancer population. Instruments were categorized as site-specific, treatment-specific, or symptom-specific.
National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health
1990-2010
Published studies (not further specified)
710 articles met inclusion criteria (57 instruments)
<p>Seventeen instruments were found that assess physical and social issues experienced by head and neck cancer patients (e.g., dysphagia, oral function, eating, oral pain). The majority of instruments lacked reports on structure analysis and few had evidence of reliability and validity. Of these, the three most frequently used were:</p>
<ul>
<li>the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory,</li>
<li>the Xerostomia Questionnaire, and</li>
<li>the Oral Health Impact Profile.</li>
</ul>
<p>Given the heterogeneity of instruments and varying psychometric properties, the authors suggest that no gold standard questionnaire exists for this population and conclude that "when selecting instruments, researchers should consider not only psychometric properties but also research objectives, study design, and the pitfalls and benefits of combining different measures" (p. 1738).</p>
<div>Results of this review indicate that there is not a gold standard questionnaire to assess quality of life (QoL) in adults with head and neck cancer. "Of the instruments reviewed, 16% lacked assessment of reliability and/or validity, and this should be carefully considered when selecting instruments. In some cases, as in the assessment of xerostomia or mucositis, there may not be any rigorously tested QOL [quality of life] instruments, which is suggestive of the need for future research and instrument development" (p. 8).</div>
