International Validation of the QLQ-OH17 for Oral Health

Assessment of oral and dental problems is seldom routine in clinical oncology, despite the potential negative impact of these problems on nutritional status, social function and quality of life (QoL). A brief, assessment tool for oral/dental health and related QoL-issues to improve symptom management has been requested. The present study will be conducted on behalf of and with support from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer - (EORTC) Quality of Life Group (QLG). The study represents phase IV, the final step, in the development of an international, symptom specific questionnaire module, focusing on oral and dental problems in relation to cancer and its treatment. Phase I-III of this stepwise development process was conducted from 2008 to 2011, as an international collaboration and conducted according to the guidelines for module development set forth by the EORTC QLG. The resulting module, the QLQ-OH17, is now subject to an international field testing and validation study as described in this project description. The present version of the QLQ-OH17 consists of 17 items conceptualized into four multi-item scales (pain/discomfort, xerostomia, eating and information) and three single items related to use of dentures and future worries. The aim of the present study is to conduct phase IV; an international field study to confirm the psychometric properties of the QLQ-OH17

Sex

All

Minimum age

18 Years

Inclusion Criteria

* Patients with a verified cancer diagnosis other than basal cell carcinoma, incl. H\&N cancer
* Sufficient language ability to understand and complete the questionnaires without assistance
* No obvious cognitive impairments, as judged by the study coordinator upon inclusion
* Age 18 years or above
* Provision of written informed consent
* No participation in another trial or study possibly interfering with the present study

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients being diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma
* Patients who have been included in Phase I-III of the module development
* Patients who are in the terminal phase of cancer
* Patients who are unable to participate in the interviews do to obvious cognitive impairment, psychological disturbance or language problems

• BACKGROUNDHjermstad MJ, Bergenmar M, Bjordal K, Fisher SE, Hofmeister D, Montel S, Nicolatou-Galitis O, Pinto M, Raber-Durlacher J, Singer S, Tomaszewska IM, Tomaszewski KA, Verdonck-de Leeuw I, Yarom N, Winstanley JB, Herlofson BB; EORTC QoL Group. International field testing of the psychometric properties of an EORTC quality of life module for oral health: the EORTC QLQ-OH15. Support Care Cancer. 2016 Sep;24(9):3915-24. doi: 10.1007/s00520-016-3216-0. Epub 2016 Apr 25. PMID 27113466
• RESULTHjermstad MJ, Bergenmar M, Fisher SE, Montel S, Nicolatou-Galitis O, Raber-Durlacher J, Singer S, Verdonck-de Leeuw I, Weis J, Yarom N, Herlofson BB. The EORTC QLQ-OH17: a supplementary module to the EORTC QLQ-C30 for assessment of oral health and quality of life in cancer patients. Eur J Cancer. 2012 Sep;48(14):2203-11. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2012.04.003. Epub 2012 May 8. PMID 22572480
• DERIVEDJohns SA, Brown LF, Beck-Coon K, Talib TL, Monahan PO, Giesler RB, Tong Y, Wilhelm L, Carpenter JS, Von Ah D, Wagner CD, de Groot M, Schmidt K, Monceski D, Danh M, Alyea JM, Miller KD, Kroenke K. Randomized controlled pilot trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction compared to psychoeducational support for persistently fatigued breast and colorectal cancer survivors. Support Care Cancer. 2016 Oct;24(10):4085-96. doi: 10.1007/s00520-016-3220-4. Epub 2016 May 17. PMID 27189614