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Published on: October 24, 2018
Use of the Distress Thermometer in Cancer Survivors: Convergent Validity and Diagnostic Accuracy in a Spanish Sample
Yolanda Andreu Vaillo1, Paula Martínez Lopez2, María J Galdón Garrido1
1University of Valencia.
Objectives:
To explore the performance of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer (DT) as a distress screening tool in cancer survivors.
Sample & Setting:
236 Spanish adult-onset cancer survivors who visited the Fundación Instituto Valenciano de Oncología in Valencia, Spain, for follow-up appointments.
Methods & Variables:
Survivors completed the DT and the Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (BSI-18), which has established a cutoff score for identifying clinically significant distress.
Results:
Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of the DT scores relative to the BSI-18 cutoff score showed good overall accuracy. For a score of 5 or greater, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and clinical utility indexes indicated that the DT appeared to be satisfactory for screening but had restricted use for case finding.
Implications For Nursing:
Screening for and responding to distress is considered an important part of nursing practice. The DT is suitable for use as a first-stage, quick-detection instrument in a two-step screening process to rule out noncases among Spanish post-treatment cancer survivors.
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