[Development of QOL questionnaires in Japan]

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Psychometrics
• Health Outcomes Research

Context:

• Quality of Life (QOL) assessment is crucial in clinical oncology.
• Several QOL questionnaires are available in Japanese for cancer patients.
• Existing Japanese QOL tools include the Functional Living Index Cancer (FLIC), WHOQOL, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale (FACT), European Organization for Research and Cancer Treatment QLQ-C30 (QLQ-C30), and the QOL Questionnaire for Cancer Patients Treated with Anticancer Drugs (QOL-ACD).

Purpose:

• To review the characteristics of major QOL questionnaires used in Japanese clinical oncology.
• To present the validation processes for these QOL instruments.
• To discuss challenges in cross-cultural validation, scoring equivalence, and data missingness.

Summary:

• This review details the features of Japanese QOL questionnaires like FLIC, WHOQOL, FACT, QLQ-C30, and QOL-ACD.
• It covers their validation methodologies and discusses critical issues such as cross-cultural adaptation and data integrity in clinical trials.
• The analysis highlights the importance of robust QOL assessment tools in oncology research and practice.

Impact:

• Provides a comprehensive overview of QOL assessment tools for researchers and clinicians in Japanese oncology.
• Identifies key considerations for selecting and utilizing QOL questionnaires in cross-cultural research.
• Informs strategies for improving data quality and comparability in international cancer clinical studies.