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The Pediatric Cancer Quality of Life Inventory-32 (PCQL-32). II. Feasibility and range of measurement
1Center for Child Health Outcomes, Children's Hospital and Health Center, San Diego, California 92123, USA.
Insights
The Pediatric Cancer Quality of Life Inventory-32 (PCQL-32) is a reliable tool for measuring pediatric cancer patients' quality of life. Its short form is practical for clinical trials, showing good feasibility and measurement range.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Health Outcomes Research
- Quality of Life Measurement
Background:
- Assessing health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is crucial for evaluating pediatric cancer treatments.
- Multidimensional serial HRQOL measurements are essential in Phase III clinical trials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce the Pediatric Cancer Quality of Life Inventory-32 (PCQL-32) as a standardized instrument.
- To evaluate the feasibility and measurement range of the PCQL-32 short form.
Main Methods:
- The PCQL-32 (32 items) was derived from a longer form (84-87 items).
- Data were collected from 291 pediatric cancer patients and their parents.
- Feasibility (missing values) and range of measurement (floor/ceiling effects) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- The PCQL-32 demonstrated excellent feasibility with <0.01% missing values.
- Full range of measurement was observed, with no ceiling effects and low to moderate floor effects.
- The short form is practical for Phase III clinical trials.
Conclusions:
- The PCQL-32 is a feasible and valid instrument for assessing pediatric cancer patients' HRQOL.
- Its short form is suitable for use in Phase III clinical trials.
- Future research will explore its use for serial monitoring of HRQOL in pediatric cancer patients.
Abstract:
The Pediatric Cancer Quality of Life Inventory-32 (PCQL-32) has been developed to be a standardized assessment instrument to assess systematically pediatric cancer patient's health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes. Multidimensional serial measurement of pediatric cancer patients' HRQOL in Phase III randomized controlled clinical trials is increasingly being recognized as an essential component in evaluating the comprehensive health outcomes of modern antineoplastic treatment protocols. The 32-item PCQL-32 short form was empirically derived from the PCQL long form (84-87 items), which was administered to 291 pediatric cancer patients and their parents during various stages of treatment. The feasibility (percentage of missing values per item) and range of measurement [percentage of minimum (floor effect) and maximum (ceiling effect) possible scores] was calculated for the five PCQL-32 scales and the total scale score. Feasibility for the PCQL-32 was very good, with less than .01% missing values. Range of measurement was full, with no ceiling effects (higher symptoms/problems) and low to moderate floor effects (lower symptoms/problems). The PCQL-32 demonstrated very good feasibility and range of measurement. In its short form, the PCQL-32 is practical for Phase III clinical trials. Future studies will test the utility of the PCQL-32 as a brief serial measure for monitoring the HRQOL outcomes for children and adolescents with cancer.