A systematic review of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for breast cancer patients who are undertaking adjuvant endocrine therapy.

PURPOSE

Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer among women, with hormone receptor-positive BC making up approximately 70% of cases. Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy (AET) is critical in reducing recurrence in this patient population. Still, it often leads to side effects that negatively impact patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are widely used to assess HRQoL, but there is inconsistency in the instruments used to evaluate the impact of AET on BC patients. This systematic review aimed to identify and evaluate PROMs that assess HRQoL in BC patients undergoing AET, using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guidelines.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted across MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar for studies published between 2007 and 2023. Studies that developed and validated PROMs for BC patients on AET were included. The measurement properties of each PROM were appraised following COSMIN guidelines, and their relevance, comprehensiveness, and comprehensibility were assessed.

RESULTS

The review included 24 studies assessing six PROMs. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Breast Cancer45 (EORTC BR45) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Endocrine Symptoms (FACT-ES) demonstrated sufficient content validity and covered the majority of AET-related symptoms. Both instruments were rated highly for structural validity, internal consistency, cross-cultural validity, and reliability. FACT-ES also demonstrated strong responsiveness to treatment-related changes.

CONCLUSIONS

EORTC BR45 and FACT-ES are the most suitable PROMs for assessing HRQoL in BC patients undergoing AET due to their robust psychometric properties and comprehensive coverage of AET-related symptoms.