Abstract
The main purpose of the treatment in lung cancer should generally be palliation of symptoms and improvement in quality of life. EURO-QOL (EQ-5D) is a self-report measure of overall quality of life scale.
To investigate the reliability, validity and feasibity of the Turkish version of the EQ-5D questionnaire as a tool for the assessment of quality of life in lung cancer patients in Turkish society.
A multicenter prospective study is carried as a Lung Cancer Association Project in collaboration with Turkish Thoracic Society, Lung and Plavral Malignancies working group and Health and Quality of Life Society.
Of 266 patients, 248 (93.2%) were male and the mean age was 61.3 years. 58.7% of the cases were stage IV, 23.9% of them were stage IIIB. 37.9% of the patients had squamous cell lung carcinoma, 24.2% had adenocarcinoma, and 21.2% had small cell lung carcinoma. 75.9% of the patients had chemotherapy alone. EQ-5D index score at the time of diagnosis has found as moderate reliable measurement, and the measurement of the score at during 3rd and 5th chemotherapy ,after the radiotherapy was found to be highly reliable measurements. EQ-5D questionnaire was found to be consistent in itself. EQ-5D VAS score evaluation, at time of diagnosis, 3rd Cure, 5th Cure and after radiotherapy was found to correlate with each other. Working model fulfills its’ conditions for 6-fit index so EQ-5D scale was found valid.
The psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the EQ-5D questionnaire is a valid and reliable scale for the quality of life in patients with lung cancer in Turkey and that can be used safely in the clinic.
- © 2013 ERS