Validating the PROMIS cognitive function short form in cancer survivors

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Psychometrics
• Cancer Survivorship Research

Background:

• Cognitive impairment is a significant concern for cancer survivors.
• Existing cognitive assessment tools can be lengthy, posing challenges for research and clinical use.
• The Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System Cognitive Function Short Form (PROMIS Cog) offers a potentially shorter alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the convergent validity and internal reliability of the PROMIS Cog in breast cancer survivors.
• To explore clinical cut points for the PROMIS Cog.
• To compare the PROMIS Cog with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Cognition (FACT-Cog).

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of data from three distinct samples of breast cancer survivors.
• Convergent validity was assessed by correlating PROMIS Cog scores with measures of depression, anxiety, stress, fatigue, sleep, loneliness, and the FACT-Cog.
• Clinical cut-points were identified using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Main Results:

• The study included 471, 132, and 90 breast cancer survivors across the three samples.
• Correlations for convergent validity ranged from 0.21 to 0.82 (p < 0.001), comparable to the FACT-Cog's perceived cognitive impairments (PCI) scale.
• ROC curve analysis suggested a clinical cut-off score of < 34 for the PROMIS Cog in the combined sample.

Conclusions:

• The 8-item PROMIS Cog demonstrates strong convergent validity and internal reliability among breast cancer survivors.
• Its performance is comparable to the 18-item FACT-Cog PCI scale.
• The PROMIS Cog 8a is a concise, reliable tool suitable for integration into cancer-related cognitive impairment research and clinical practice.