Evaluating the ability to detect change of health‐related quality of life in children with Hodgkin disease

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  • JHJoanna Hughes
    Joanna Hughes
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: We evaluated 4 different health‐related quality of life (HRQL) measures prospectively to determine their ability to detect change over time: the Health Utilities Index Mark 2 and Mark 3, the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 Generic Core and Cancer Module, the EuroQol EQ‐5D visual analogue scale (EuroQol), and the Lansky Play‐Performance Scale.METHODS: Children with all stages of Hodgkin disease from 12 centers across Canada were asked to complete the 4 measures at 4 time points: 2 weeks after the first course of chemotherapy, on the third day of the second course of chemotherapy, during the third week of radiation, and 1 year after diagnosis.RESULTS: Fifty‐one patients were enrolled in the study between May 1, 2002 and March 31, 2005. Two patients were excluded: 1 patient died shortly after the first time point and the other patient failed to complete any of the questionnaires. All measures showed a significant change between Time 1 and Time 4 (<0.05). When the change in child scores was analyzed between the time points using the child's self‐reported change in HRQL, the PedsQL and the EuroQol showed significant change at all time points.CONCLUSIONS: All of the measures were able to detect change in a diverse group of children with Hodgkin disease. The PedsQL and the EuroQol appeared to be the most sensitive to change. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.

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