Validation of the Patient Neurotoxicity Questionnaire for Patients Suffering From Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Greek.

The Patient Neurotoxicity Questionnaire (PNQ) represents a diagnostic tool concerning patients with Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN). Application of such a tool in the Greek clinical praxis requires validation.

Validation consists of three stages: translation, reverse translation, and patient application. 100 oncologic patients were assessed by comparing the PNQ to the NCI-CTCAE at the chemotherapy onset and 2nd, 4th, and 6th sessions. Specific requirements of the diagnostic tool (compliance, validity, concordance, sensitivity, specificity, reliability) were statistically evaluated.

Differences between translated texts and between the reverse translation and the original were considered negligible. At the 2nd, 4th and 6th session compliance was 98%, 95% and 93% while Cronbach's α was 0,57 0,69 and 0,81 respectively. Cohen's weighted κ was 0,67 and 0,58, Spearman's ρ was 0,7 and 0,98 while AUC of the ROC was 1 and 0,9 for the sensory and the motor part respectively. The variance's linear regression analysis confirmed CIPN worsening over time (p-value<0,0001).

The Greek version remains close to the original. Compliance rates reflect easy PNQ application. Cohen's κ values highlight the physicians' tension to underestimate the patients' condition. Spearman's ρ, Cronbach's α and AUC values reflect good validity, reliability and specificity of the PNQ respectively. Finally, the linear analysis confirmed the PNQ sensitivity over time.

The PNQ validation in Greek adds a crucial tool in the physicians' armory. It can now draw the necessary information to modify the chemotherapy and analgesic treatment schemes at both preventive and acute levels.