Psychometric Properties of the Spanish Version of the Cancer Survivors' Unmet Needs (CaSUN-S) Measure in Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND

The Cancer Survivors' Unmet Needs (CaSUN) measure is an assessment tool developed specifically for this population but several issues about its structural properties still remain unresolved.

METHOD

The present study tests the theoretical model, the original authors' empirical solution, and a new rational proposal of the CaSUN using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Reliability and convergent validity are also analysed. 566 Spanish breast cancer survivors completed the CaSUN, the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18) and the Quality of Life in Adult Cancer Survivors questionnaire (QLACS).

RESULTS

The proposed model of five domains (physical effects, psychological effects, comprehensive care and information, practical issues, and relationships) plus a total score provided better fit than the authors' theoretical proposal and some advantages over their empirical proposal. Internal consistency (α = .73 - .95; r item-total > .30) and test-retest reliability (r = .74 - 89) were adequate. The CaSUN correlated with high emotional distress (r = .43 - .77) and poor quality of life (r = .18 - .64).

CONCLUSIONS

The CaSUN-S is an effective and complete instrument that can help health professionals to collect data about the impact of the disease beyond the diagnosis and treatment phase that is important for patient care.