Awad Manal A, Denic Srdjan, El Taji Hakam
University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2008 Sep;1138:146-54. doi: 10.1196/annals.1414.021.
Information about quality of life in patients with cancer in Arab populations in 21 countries is inadequate. The objective of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) general quality of life questionnaire (QLQ-C30) and of the breast cancer-specific questionnaire (QLQ-BR23) in Arab breast cancer patients. The questionnaires were administered to 87 breast cancer patients 3 months after surgery. The mean age of patients was 48.6 years (SD: 9.9), 76% were married, all had staged disease (I, 9%; II, 46%; III, 44%; IV, 1%). The percentage of patients who underwent mastectomy and lumpectomy were 49% and 51%, respectively. Questionnaire reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, in which the values were all >0.7, with the exception of cognitive function and pain in the QLQ-C30 (Cronbach's alpha 0.67 and 0.51, respectively) and breast symptoms in the QLQ-BR23 (Cronbach's alpha 0.50). The questionnaires' validity was confirmed using "known group comparisons," which showed that the QLQ-C30 discriminated between mastectomy and lumpectomy patients on the emotional and cognitive function scales (P < 0.001) and QLQ-BR23 discriminated as well on the function scales and for systemic side effects (P < 0.001). For the most part, QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23 distinguished clearly between subgroups of patients differing in their Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. In summary, the Arabic versions of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23 are reliable and valid tools for assessment of quality of life in Arab patients with cancer.
关于21个阿拉伯国家癌症患者生活质量的信息不足。本研究的目的是评估欧洲癌症研究与治疗组织（EORTC）通用生活质量问卷（QLQ-C30）阿拉伯语版以及乳腺癌特异性问卷（QLQ-BR23）阿拉伯语版在阿拉伯乳腺癌患者中的心理测量特性。这些问卷在手术后3个月对87名乳腺癌患者进行了发放。患者的平均年龄为48.6岁（标准差：9.9），76%已婚，所有患者均有分期疾病（I期，9%；II期，46%；III期，44%；IV期，1%）。接受乳房切除术和乳房肿块切除术的患者比例分别为49%和51%。使用克朗巴赫α系数评估问卷的信度，其中除QLQ-C30中的认知功能和疼痛（克朗巴赫α分别为0.67和0.51）以及QLQ-BR23中的乳房症状（克朗巴赫α为0.50）外，所有值均>0.7。使用“已知组比较”来确认问卷的效度，结果显示QLQ-C30在情感和认知功能量表上能够区分乳房切除术和乳房肿块切除术患者（P<0.001），QLQ-BR23在功能量表和全身副作用方面也有区分（P<0.001）。在很大程度上，QLQ-C30和QLQ-BR23能够清晰地区分医院焦虑抑郁量表得分不同的患者亚组。总之，EORTC QLQ-C30和QLQ-BR23阿拉伯语版是评估阿拉伯癌症患者生活质量的可靠且有效的工具。
