Validation of the Japanese version of the Manchester Cough in Lung Cancer Scale

Cough is one of the most common distressing symptoms of lung cancer. However, there is no specific measure of cough in lung cancer in Japanese. The present study aimed to determine the validity of the Japanese version of the Manchester Cough in Lung Cancer Scale (MCLCS).

The MCLCS is a cough-specific quality of life (QOL) questionnaire for lung cancer that consists of 10 items on cough frequency, distress, impact, and severity. Items are evaluated on a scale of 1-5 (1: never, 2: some of the time, 3: often, 4: most of the time, and 5: all of the time). Total scores can range from 1 to 50, with higher scores indicating worse cough-related QOL. The Japanese version of the MCLCS was created through forward and backward translation. Patients completed the Japanese version of the MCLCS, the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), and the cough visual analog scale (VAS). To confirm the reliability of the MCLCS, Cronbach's α coefficient was calculated, and for validity, the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlations between MCLCS and LCQ or cough VAS.

Of the total 192 lung cancer patients enrolled in this study, 73 had a cough in the preceding week. The median MCLCS score was 28, demonstrating an excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α coefficient = 0.83). MCLCS was strongly and significantly correlated with LCQ and cough VAS.

The Japanese version of MCLCS is a valid tool for assessing cough in lung cancer patients.