Validation of an EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire Module for Patients With Colorectal Cancer

OBJECTIVES:

• To test the reliability and clinical and psychometric validity of the European Organization of Research for the Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life questionnaire (QLQ-CR29) in an international sample of patients with colorectal cancer.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients are stratified into predetermined clinically distinct groups (colon cancer after surgery vs colon cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy vs rectal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant radiotherapy vs rectal cancer after anterior resection with temporary stoma vs rectal cancer after abdominoperineal excision of rectum vs colorectal cancer undergoing palliative chemotherapy).

Quality-of-life data is collected alongside standard outcomes in patients undergoing treatment for colorectal cancer. Patients complete the European Organization of Research for the Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life questionnaire (QLQ-C30), the revised colorectal cancer module (QLQ-CR29), case report forms for clinical and sociodemographic data, and a debriefing questionnaire at different time points before, during, and after treatment. Some patients complete more sets of the same questionnaire at later time points to assess sensitivity to change over time and test-retest reliability. Reliability, and clinical and psychometric validity of the questionnaires are assessed by correlation analyses, exploration of known group comparisons, and responsiveness to clinical changes.