TY - JOUR
T1 - Minimally important differences for interpreting European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 scores in patients with head and neck cancer
AU - Musoro, Jammbe Z.
AU - Coens, Corneel
AU - Singer, Susanne
AU - Tribius, Silke
AU - Oosting, Sjoukje F.
AU - Groenvold, Mogens
AU - Simon, Christian
AU - Machiels, Jean-Pascal
AU - Grégoire, Vincent
AU - Velikova, Galina
AU - Cocks, Kim
AU - Sprangers, Mirjam A. G.
AU - King, Madeleine T.
AU - Bottomley, Andrew
PY - 2020/11/1
Y1 - 2020/11/1
N2 - Background: We aimed to estimate minimally important difference (MID) for interpreting group-level change over time for European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) scores in head and neck cancer. Methods: Data were derived retrospectively from two published EORTC trials. Clinical anchors were selected using correlation strength and clinical plausibility of the given anchor/QLQ-C30 scale pair. MIDs for within-group and between-group change were estimated via the mean change method and linear regression, respectively. Distribution-based MIDs were also examined. MIDs for two of the scales, dyspnea and nausea/vomiting, are more uncertain considering their low correlations with the anchors. Results: Anchor-based MIDs could be determined for deterioration in 7 of the 14 QLQ-C30 scales assessed, and in 3 scales for improvement. MIDs varied by scale, direction of change, and anchor. Absolute MID values ranged from 5 to 15 points for within-group change and 4 to 12 for between-group change. Most MIDs were within 4 to 10 points. Conclusions: Our findings, if confirmed, will aid interpreting changes in selected QLQ-C30 scale scores over time and inform sample size calculations in future clinical trials in head and neck cancer.
AB - Background: We aimed to estimate minimally important difference (MID) for interpreting group-level change over time for European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) scores in head and neck cancer. Methods: Data were derived retrospectively from two published EORTC trials. Clinical anchors were selected using correlation strength and clinical plausibility of the given anchor/QLQ-C30 scale pair. MIDs for within-group and between-group change were estimated via the mean change method and linear regression, respectively. Distribution-based MIDs were also examined. MIDs for two of the scales, dyspnea and nausea/vomiting, are more uncertain considering their low correlations with the anchors. Results: Anchor-based MIDs could be determined for deterioration in 7 of the 14 QLQ-C30 scales assessed, and in 3 scales for improvement. MIDs varied by scale, direction of change, and anchor. Absolute MID values ranged from 5 to 15 points for within-group change and 4 to 12 for between-group change. Most MIDs were within 4 to 10 points. Conclusions: Our findings, if confirmed, will aid interpreting changes in selected QLQ-C30 scale scores over time and inform sample size calculations in future clinical trials in head and neck cancer.
KW - EORTC QLQ-C30
KW - head and neck cancer
KW - health-related quality of life
KW - minimally important difference
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85087454209&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1002/hed.26363
DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/hed.26363
M3 - Article
C2 - 32627261
SN - 1043-3074
VL - 42
SP - 3141
EP - 3152
JO - Head & neck
JF - Head & neck
IS - 11
ER -