Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Development and validation of the simplified Chinese version of EORTC QLQ-H&N35 for patients with head and neck cancer

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Supportive Care in Cancer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Goals

A simplified Chinese version of EORTC QLQ-H&N35 was developed using strict translation procedures according to EORTC translation guidelines. Psychometric properties were evaluated.

Patients and methods

Three instruments (QLQ-H&N35, QLICP-HN, and FACT-H&N) were used in a sample of 133 patients with head and neck cancer at the time of their admission to the hospital. Each patient was assessed for the second time 1–2 days after hospitalization so that the test–retest reliability could be calculated. A sub-sample of patients was sampled and measured for the third time at discharge in order to evaluate the responsiveness.

Results

Correlation analysis among domains and items of the three instruments showed good construct validity and criterion-related validity. Comparisons of QLQ-H&N35 between treatment groups and age groups supported clinical validity. The internal consistency reliability measured by Cronbach’s coefficient α was greater than 0.70 for all multi-item domains, and test–retest reliability coefficients for all domains were greater than 0.80, ranging from 0.88 to 0.95. Score changes between pre- and post-treatment were observed in 6 out of 18 domains, with effect size SRM ranging from 0.27 to 0.87.

Conclusions

The simplified Chinese version of QLQ-H&N35 demonstrates good validity, reliability, and responsiveness and can be used to measure QOL for Chinese patients with head and neck cancer.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Weiss MH (1993) Head and neck cancer and the quality of life. Otolaryngol—Head Neck Surg 108(4):311–312

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Chie WC, Hong RL, Lai CC, Ting LL, Hsu MM (2003) Quality of life in patients of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: validation of the Taiwan Chinese version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the EORTC QLQH&N35. Qual Life Res 12:93–98

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Morris J (1994) Widening perspectives: quality of life as a measure of outcome in the treatment of patients with cancers of the head and neck. Oral Oncol 30B:29–31

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Osoba D (1992) The quality of life committee of the clinical trials group of the National Cancer Institute of Canada: organization and functions. Qual Life Res 1:203–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Ganz PA, Bernhard J, Hurny C (1991) Quality of life and psychosocial oncology research in Europe: state of the art. J Psychosoc Oncol 9:1–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Aaronson NK, Ahmedzai S, Bergman B, Bullinger M, Cull A, Duez NJ et al (1993) The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30: a quality of life instrument for use in international clinical trials in oncology. J Natl Cancer Inst 85:365–376

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Hjermsted MJ, Fossa SD, Bjordal K, Kaasa S (1995) Test–retest study of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality-of-life Questionnaire. J Clin Oncol 13:1249–1254

    Google Scholar 

  8. Groenvold M, Klee MC, Sprangers MAG, Aaronson NK (1997) Validation of the EORTC QLQ-C30 quality of life questionnaire through combined qualitative and quantitative assessment of patient–observer agreement. J Clin Epidemiol 50:441–450

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Wan CH, Meng Q, Yang Z, Tu X, Feng CY, Tang XL et al (2008) Validation of the simplified Chinese version of EORTC QLQ-C30 from the measurements of five types of in patients with cancer. Annals Oncol 19(12):2053–2060

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Bjordal K, Kaasa S (1992) Psychometric validation of the EORTC Core Quality of Life Questionnaire, 30-item version and a diagnosis-specific module for head and neck cancer patients. Acta Oncol 31:311–321

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Chaukar DA, Das AK, Deshpande MS, Pai PS, Pathak KA, Chaturvedi P et al (2005) Quality of life in head and neck cancer patient: validation of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-H&N35 in Indian patients. Indian J Cancer 42(4):178–184

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Bjordal K, de Graeff A, Fayers PM, Hammerlid E, van Pottelsberghe C, Curran D et al (2000) A 12 country field study of the EORTC QLQ-C30 (version 3.0) and the head and neck cancer specific module (EORTC QLQ-H&N35) in head and neck patients. Eur J Cancer 36:1796–1807

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Sherman AC, Simonton S, Adams DS, Vural E, Owens B, Hanna E (2000) Assessing quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer, cross-validation of European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Head and Neck Module (QLQ-H&N35). Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 126:459–467

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Ringash J, Bezjak A, O’Sullivan B, Redelmeier DA (2004) Interpreting differences in quality of life: the FACT-H&N in laryngeal cancer patients. Qual Life Res 13:725–733

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Ringash J, Bezjak A (2001) A structured review of quality of life instruments for head and neck cancer patients. Head Neck 23:201–213

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Cull A, Sprangers M, Bjordal K (2002) EORTC quality of life study group translation procedure. Second edition, EORTC QL unit

  17. Luo JH, Tang XL, Li XJ, Yang Z, Xu Y, Gao LM (2007) Multiple factors analysis for the reliability and validity of Chinese version of FACT-H&N in patients with head and neck cancer. Chin J Hosp Stat 14(2):105–107, in Chinese

    Google Scholar 

  18. Chang JT, Chang CH, Juang YY, Hsiao JC, Lin CY, Huang SF et al (2008) Internal consistency of the traditional Chinese character version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Head and Neck (FACT-H&N). Chang Gung Med J 31(4):384–394

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Cella DF, Tulsky DS, Gray G, Sarafian B, Linn E, Bonomi A et al (1993) The functional assessment of cancer therapy scale: development and validation of the general measure. J Clin Oncol 11(3):570–579

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Wan CH, Yang Z, Meng Q, Feng CY, Wang HY, Tang XL et al (2008) Development and validation of the General Module of the System of Quality of Life Instruments for Cancer Patients (QLICP-GM). Int J Cancer 122(1):190–196

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Wan CH, Yang Z, Tang XL et al (2009) Development and validation of the System of Quality of Life Instruments for Cancer Patients: Breast Cancer (QLICP-BR). Support Care Canc 17(4):359–366

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Wan CH, Lu YB, Tang W et al (2008) Development and validation of the System of Quality of Life Instruments for Cancer Patients: Lung Cancer (QLICP-LU). Lung Cancer 60(1):105–112

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Luo JH, Wan CH, Meng Q, Tang XL, Yang Z, Li XJ et al (2007) Development and evaluation of the Chinese Quality of Life Instrument for Cancer Patients—Head and Neck Cancer QLICP-HN (in Chinese). Modem Prevent Med 34(21):4023–4025

    Google Scholar 

  24. Hays RD, Hayashi T (1990) Beyond internal consistency reliability: rationale and user’s guide for multi-trait analysis program on the microcomputer. Behav Res Methods Instrum Compu 22:167–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. McGraw KO, Wong SP (1996) Forming inferences about some intraclass correlation coefficients. Psychol Methods 1(1):30–46

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Schuck P (2004) Assessing reproducibility for interval data in health-related quality of life questionnaires: which coefficient should be used? Qual Life Res 13:571–586

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Terwee CB, Dekker FW, Wiersinga WM, Prummel MF, Bossuyt PM (2003) On assessing responsiveness of health-related quality of life instruments: guidelines for instrument evaluation. Qual Life Res 12(4):349–363

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Husted JA, Cook RJ, Farewell VT, Gladman DD (2000) Methods for assessing responsiveness: a critical review and recommendations. J Clin Epidemiol 53(5):459–468

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Norman GR, Stratford P, Regehr G (1997) Methodological problems in the retrospective computation of responsiveness to change: the lesson of Cronbach. J Clin Epidemiol 50:869–879

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Anderson JJ, Chernoff MC (1993) Sensitivity to change of rheumatoid arthritis clinical trial outcome measures. J Rheumatol 20:535–537

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Van der Steeg AFW, De Vries J, Roukema JA (2004) Quality of life and health status in breast carcinoma. EJSO 30:1051–1057

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

In carrying out this research project, we received substantial assistance from Karen West, Jane Blazeby, Neil Aaronson, and Mirjam Sprangers at EORTC and many staff, including Xueliang Tang and Yubo Lu at the Yunnan Tumor Hospital and Mallori Henceroth from the University of Houston. We sincerely appreciate their kind help. This work was supported by The Natural Sciences Funds of Yunnan Province (2008CD055) and Research Fund of Top Talent Project of Guangdong Medical College (XG1004).

Conflict of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health, Guangdong Medical College, Dongguan, 523808, China

    Zheng Yang

  2. School of Public Health, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650031, China

    Qiong Meng & Jiahong Luo

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA

    Qian Lu

  4. Yunnan Tumor Hospital, Kunming, 650031, China

    Xiaojiang Li & Gaofeng Li

  5. School of Humanities and Management, Guangdong Medical College, Dongguan, 523808, China

    Chonghua Wan

Authors
  1. Zheng Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Qiong Meng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jiahong Luo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Qian Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Xiaojiang Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Gaofeng Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Chonghua Wan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chonghua Wan.

Additional information

Zheng Yang and Qiong Meng are the first authors with equal contributions.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yang, Z., Meng, Q., Luo, J. et al. Development and validation of the simplified Chinese version of EORTC QLQ-H&N35 for patients with head and neck cancer. Support Care Cancer 20, 1555–1564 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1247-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1247-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation