Response shift in the perception of health for utility evaluation. an explorative investigation

Dynamics of Long-Term Quality of Life After Treatment for Esophageal Cancer: A Community-Based Patient Study

PURPOSE

To characterize the pattern of post-treatment quality of life (QoL) for esophageal cancer (EC) survivors and construct models predicting their long-term QoL.

METHODS

On the basis of a randomized trial in an EC high-risk region in China, we interviewed 363 EC survivors and 25,245 permanent residents matched with the survivors on age, sex, and township as the baseline. QoL was measured using three-level version of European Quality of Life 5-Dimensions instrument. We constructed piecewise mixed models estimating the QoL of EC survivors that varied by age, sex, patient type, hospital level, and therapy to ascertain QoL determinants.

RESULTS

The post-treatment QoL of EC survivors dropped by 15.7% within the first year and recovered by 9.3% between 1 and 9 years compared with the baseline. Therapy was found to be a determinant of QoL, and a series of therapy-specific models were fitted accordingly, which all showed the pattern of decreasing rapidly and recovering gradually. Endoscopic treatment had the least impact on post-treatment QoL (7.5% drop within 5 years) compared with esophagectomy (12.2% drop within 1 year) and chemoradiotherapy (37.8% drop within 2 years). The usual activities dimension showed the greatest impairment among those patients (34.4% drop within 1 year).

CONCLUSION

This community-based study described the long-term QoL trajectory for EC survivors after different therapeutic modalities and constructed models to predict therapy-specific QoL at different time points after treatment. It provided new insights into decision making in treatment for EC from the perspective of QoL protection, offering a convenient tool for estimating quality-adjusted life-years.

Listening to the elephant in the room: response-shift effects in clinical trials research

Background

While a substantial body of work postulates that adaptation (response-shift effects) may serve to hide intervention benefits, much of the research was conducted in observational studies, not randomized-controlled trials. This scoping review identified all clinical trials that addressed response shift phenomena, and characterized how response-shift effects impacted trial findings.

Methods

A scoping review was done of the medical literature from 1968 to 2021 using as keywords “response shift” and “clinical trial.” Articles were included if they were a clinical trial that explicitly examined response-shift effects; and excluded if they were not a clinical trial, a full report, or if response shift was mentioned only in the discussion. Clinical-trials papers were then reviewed and retained in the scoping review if they focused on randomized participants, showed clear examples of response shift, and used reliable and valid response-shift detection methods. A synthesis of review results further characterized the articles’ design characteristics, samples, interventions, statistical power, and impact of response-shift adjustment on treatment effect.

Results

The search yielded 2148 unique references, 25 of which were randomized-controlled clinical trials that addressed response-shift effects; 17 of which were retained after applying exclusion criteria; 10 of which were adequately powered; and 7 of which revealed clinically-important response-shift effects that made the intervention look significantly better.

Conclusions

These findings supported the presumption that response shift phenomena obfuscate treatment benefits, and revealed a greater intervention effect after integrating response-shift related changes. The formal consideration of response-shift effects in clinical trials research will thus not only improve estimation of treatment effects, but will also integrate the inherent healing process of treatments.

Key points

This scoping review supported the presumption that response shift phenomena obfuscate treatment benefits and revealed a greater intervention effect after integrating response-shift related changes.

The formal consideration of response-shift effects in clinical trials research will not only improve estimation of treatment effects but will also integrate the inherent healing process of treatments.

Implications of response shift for micro-, meso-, and macro-level healthcare decision-making using results of patient-reported outcome measures

PURPOSE

Results of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly used to inform healthcare decision-making. Research has shown that response shift can impact PROM results. As part of an international collaboration, our goal is to provide a framework regarding the implications of response shift at the level of patient care (micro), healthcare institute (meso), and healthcare policy (macro).

METHODS

Empirical evidence of response shift that can influence patients' self-reported health and preferences provided the foundation for development of the framework. Measurement validity theory, hermeneutic philosophy, and micro-, meso-, and macro-level healthcare decision-making informed our theoretical analysis.

RESULTS

At the micro-level, patients' self-reported health needs to be interpreted via dialogue with the clinician to avoid misinterpretation of PROM data due to response shift. It is also important to consider the potential impact of response shift on study results, when these are used to support decisions. At the meso-level, individual-level data should be examined for response shift before aggregating PROM data for decision-making related to quality improvement, performance monitoring, and accreditation. At the macro-level, critical reflection on the conceptualization of health is required to know whether response shift needs to be controlled for when PROM data are used to inform healthcare coverage.

CONCLUSION

Given empirical evidence of response shift, there is a critical need for guidelines and knowledge translation to avoid potential misinterpretations of PROM results and consequential biases in decision-making. Our framework with guiding questions provides a structure for developing strategies to address potential impacts of response shift at micro-, meso-, and macro-levels.

Response-shift effects in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: a secondary analysis of clinical trial data

Background

Researchers have long posited that response-shift effects may obfuscate treatment effects. The present work investigated possible response-shift effects in a recent clinical trial testing a new treatment for Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD). This pivotal trial provided impressive support for the drug Eculizumab in preventing relapse, but less strong or null results as the indicators became more subjective or evaluative. This pattern of results suggests that response-shift effects are present.

Methods

This secondary analysis utilized data from a randomized, double-blind trial evaluating the impact of Eculizumab in preventing relapses in 143 people with NMOSD. Treatment arm and then relapse status were hypothesized ‘catalysts’ of response shift in two series of analyses. We devised a “de-constructed” version of Oort structural-equation modeling using random-effects modeling for use in small samples. This method begins by testing an omnibus response-shift hypothesis and then, pending a positive result, implements a series of random-effects models to elucidate specific response-shift effects.

Results

In the omnibus test, the ‘standard quality-of-life (QOL) model’ captured substantially less well the experience of placebo as compared to Eculizumab group. Recalibration and reconceptualization response-shift effects were detected. Detected relapse-related response shifts included recalibration, reprioritization, and reconceptualization.

Conclusions

Trial patients experienced response shifts related to treatment- and relapse-related experiences. Published trial results likely under-estimated Eculizumab vs. Placebo differences due to recalibration and reconceptualization, and relapse effects due to recalibration, reprioritization, and reconceptualization. This novel random-effects- model application builds on response-shift theory and provides a small-sample method for better estimating treatment effects in clinical trials.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s11136-020-02707-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Role of Response-Shift in Studies Assessing Quality of Life Outcomes Among Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review

Objective: Response-shift has been cited as an important measurement consideration when assessing patient reported quality of life (QoL) outcomes over time among patients with severe chronic conditions. Here we report the results of a systematic review of response shift in studies assessing QoL among cancer patients.

Methods: A systematic review using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsychINFO along with a manual search of the cited references of the articles selected, was conducted. A quality review was performed using STROBE criteria and reported according to PRISMA guidelines.

Results: A systematic review of 1,487 records published between 1,887 and December 2018 revealed 104 potentially eligible studies, and 35 studies met inclusion criteria for content and quality. The most common cancer patient populations investigated in these studies were breast (18 studies), lung (14 studies), prostate (eight studies), and colorectal (eight studies). Response shift was identified among 34 of the 35 studies reviewed. Effect sizes were reported in 17 studies assessing QoL outcomes among cancer patients; 12 of which had negligible to small effect sizes, four reported medium effect sizes which were related to physical, global QoL, pain, and social (role) functioning and one reported a large effect size (fatigue). The most prevalent method for assessing response shift was the then-test, which is prone to recall bias, followed by the pre-test and post-test method. Given the heterogeneity among the characteristics of the samples and designs reviewed, as well as the overall small to negligible effect sizes for the effects reported, conclusions stating that changes due to internal cognitive shifts in perceived QoL should account for changes observed in cancer patients' QoL outcomes should be interpreted with caution.

Conclusion: Further work is needed in this area of research. Future studies should control for patient characteristics, time elapsed between diagnosis and baseline assessment and evaluate their contribution to the presence of response shift. Time between assessments should include short and longer periods between assessments and evaluate whether the presence of response shift holds over time. Possible avenues for inquiry for future investigation are discussed.

Response shift in self-rated health after serious health events in old age

OBJECTIVE

Although health generally deteriorates with advancing age, how older adults evaluate their health status (i.e., their self-rated health, SRH) remains rather positive. So far, however, little is known about how SRH in old age may change in the face of an abrupt health decline. Because change/stability in SRH may reflect not only change/stability in health but also changes in the meaning people assign to the concept of "health", response shift effects in SRH for people with and without a serious health event are investigated in the present study in the older general population.

METHOD

Longitudinal data from 1764 participants of the German Ageing Survey aged 65 + assessed at two occasions three years apart was used to investigate changes in SRH and three types of response shift: recalibration (change in standards for good health), reprioritization (change in the importance of different factors for health), and reconceptualization (omission/inclusion of new factors). The so-called "then-test" was used to examine recalibration response shift and path analyses, to examine reprioritization and reconceptualization response shift.

RESULTS

SRH declined between the two measurement occasions. As expected, people who experienced a serious health event indicated stronger declines in SRH. The study found evidence of two types of response shift. Regardless of whether they experienced a serious health event or not, individuals on average retrospectively overestimated their baseline health relative to the concurrent rating (recalibration). Furthermore, the predictive importance of depressive symptoms and optimism for SRH increased for individuals who experienced a serious health event (reprioritization).

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that older adults maintain stable SRH by using two types of response shift: recalibration and, when faced with a serious health event, reprioritization response shift.

Effect of Assessment Method on the Discrepancy between Judgments of Health Disorders People have and do not have: A Web Study

Three experiments on the World Wide Web asked subjects to rate the severity of common health disorders such as acne or arthritis. People who had a disorder (“Haves”) tended to rate it as less severe than people who did not have it (“Not-haves”). Two explanations of this Have versus Not-have discrepancy were rejected. By one account, people change their reference point when they rate a disorder that they have. More precise reference points would, on this account, reduce the discrepancy, but, if anything, the discrepancy was larger. By another account, people who do not have the disorder focus on attributes that are most affected by it, and the discrepancy should decrease when people make ratings on several attributes. Again, if anything, the discrepancy increased when ratings were on separate attributes (combined by a weighted average). The discrepancy varied in size and direction across disorders. Subjects also thought that they would be less affected than others.

Method variation in the impact of missing data on response shift detection

PURPOSE

Missing data due to attrition or item non-response can result in biased estimates and loss of power in longitudinal quality-of-life (QOL) research. The impact of missing data on response shift (RS) detection is relatively unknown. This overview article synthesizes the findings of three methods tested in this special section regarding the impact of missing data patterns on RS detection in incomplete longitudinal data.

METHODS

The RS detection methods investigated include: (1) Relative importance analysis to detect reprioritization RS in stroke caregivers; (2) Oort's structural equation modeling (SEM) to detect recalibration, reprioritization, and reconceptualization RS in cancer patients; and (3) Rasch-based item-response theory-based (IRT) models as compared to SEM models to detect recalibration and reprioritization RS in hospitalized chronic disease patients. Each method dealt with missing data differently, either with imputation (1), attrition-based multi-group analysis (2), or probabilistic analysis that is robust to missingness due to the specific objectivity property (3).

RESULTS

Relative importance analyses were sensitive to the type and amount of missing data and imputation method, with multiple imputation showing the largest RS effects. The attrition-based multi-group SEM revealed differential effects of both the changes in health-related QOL and the occurrence of response shift by attrition stratum, and enabled a more complete interpretation of findings. The IRT RS algorithm found evidence of small recalibration and reprioritization effects in General Health, whereas SEM mostly evidenced small recalibration effects. These differences may be due to differences between the two methods in handling of missing data.

CONCLUSIONS

Missing data imputation techniques result in different conclusions about the presence of reprioritization RS using the relative importance method, while the attrition-based SEM approach highlighted different recalibration and reprioritization RS effects by attrition group. The IRT analyses detected more recalibration and reprioritization RS effects than SEM, presumably due to IRT's robustness to missing data. Future research should apply simulation techniques in order to make conclusive statements about the impacts of missing data according to the type and amount of RS.

Fluctuations in appraisal over time in the context of stable versus non-stable health

PURPOSE

This study seeks to estimate clinically significant change in quality of life (QOL) appraisal by comparing changes in appraisal over 6 months of follow-up in people with multiple sclerosis who experienced no change in symptoms versus those with worsening symptoms. This estimation is important for enabling valid interpretation of longitudinal change, both in terms of ensuring the comparison of scores and for response shift estimation.

METHODS

This is a secondary analysis of longitudinal data (N = 859) of participants in the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis registry. Patient groupings were characterized on the basis of self-reported symptom change over 1 year of follow-up and compared in terms of their responses to the QOL Appraisal Profile. Bonferroni adjustments reduced the type I error rate, and interpretation was restricted to those comparisons with small or larger effect sizes using Cohen's criteria.

RESULTS

The Symptoms Unchanged group evidenced more change in Frame of Reference goal delineation themes and Combinatory Algorithm, whereas the Symptoms Worse group evidenced more change in Sampling of Experience and Standards of Comparison items. The group differences were, however, not large or statistically significant in most cases, likely due to being under-powered to detect interaction effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Many aspects of appraisal are relatively constant in the context of unchanging and changing symptom experience, but symptom changes led patients to make substantial shifts in what experiences they sample when thinking about their health-related QOL. These underlying cognitive processes may help people to maintain homeostasis in their perceived QOL.

Impact of response shift on longitudinal quality-of-life assessment in cancer clinical trials

The assessment of longitudinal change in subjective patient-reported outcomes such as health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a key component of many clinical and research evaluations. A major goal of measuring patient-reported HRQoL is to determine to what extent changes in HRQoL reports over time represent true changes in HRQoL due to treatment or cancer and to what extent they reflect measurement error. Indeed, the subjective assessment of HRQoL change is subject to response-shift effects, whereby health changes lead to shifts in internal standards (i.e., 'recalibration'), values (i.e., 'reprioritization') and conceptualization (i.e., 'reconceptualization') of key HRQoL domains. Response shift is a naturally occurring process that could distort the interpretation of change in HRQoL scores over time in interventional studies. Assessing response shift may therefore be needed to obtain a valid and sensitive assessment of change over time. Several methods to detect and measure the size and the direction of response shift are available. In this article, we summarize the methods used to assess and adjust for the response-shift effect in clinical trials. Nevertheless, our understanding of the parameters and processes associated with response shift is very limited. Further research is still needed to better understand how to measure the different components of response shift and how to take them into account in cancer research.

An exploratory study of response shift in health-related quality of life and utility assessment among patients with osteoarthritis undergoing total knee replacement surgery in a tertiary hospital in Singapore

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the influence of response shift (RS) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and utility assessment among patients undergoing total knee replacement.

METHODS

Consenting patients undergoing total knee replacement were interviewed to determine their HRQOL by using the six-dimensional health state short form, derived from SF-36, and the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire at baseline (pretest 1) and the six-dimensional health state short form, derived from SF-36, at 6 (pretest 2) and 18 months after surgery (post-test). RS was studied by using a "then-test" approach by contacting participants 18 months after surgery and asking them to evaluate their HRQOL at baseline (then-test 1) and at 6 (then-test 2) and 18 months after surgery. RS was calculated as the score difference between pretest and then-test scores for a given time point. Relationships between RS and external variables were explored by using univariate and multiple liner regression analyses.

RESULTS

In 74 subjects (63% response rate, median age 68 years), median (interquantile range) six-dimensional health state short form, derived from SF-36, scores for then-tests at baseline (0.48 [0.42-0.49]) and at 6 months (0.72 [0.66-0.79]) after surgery were significantly different from respective pretest scores (0.61 [0.58-0.68] at baseline, P = 0.000; 0.69 [0.63-0.72] at 6 months, P = 0.000), showing RS at both time points. RS at baseline (0.14 [0.08-0.20]) was significantly larger than that at 6 months (-0.05 [0.14 to 0.00], P = 0.000). EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire pretest and then-test scores at baseline also differed significantly (0.69 [0.17-0.73] vs. -0.18 [-0.23 to 0.00], P = 0.000). RS at baseline was not affected by assessed demographic or medical variables. RS at 6 months was greater in subjects with more years of education (16% of variance in multiple liner regression, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

RS was present and impacted HRQOL and utility assessment among patients undergoing total knee replacement before and 6 months after surgery.

Response shift in patients with multiple sclerosis: an application of three statistical techniques

OBJECTIVE

With the evolution of theory and methods for detecting recalibration, reprioritization, and reconceptualization response shifts, the time has come to evaluate and compare the current statistical detection techniques. This manuscript presents an overview of a cross-method validation done on the same patient sample.

METHODS

Three statistical techniques were used: Structural Equation Modeling, Latent Trajectory Analysis, and Recursive Partitioning and Regression Tree modeling. The study sample (n = 3,008) was drawn from the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis (NARCOMS) Registry to represent patients soon after diagnosis, classified as having either a self-reported relapsing, progressive, or stable disease trajectory. Patient-reported outcomes included the disease-specific Performance Scales and the Patient-Derived Disease Steps, and the generic SF-12v2 measure.

RESULTS

Small response shift effect sizes were detected by all of the methods. Recalibration response shift was detected by Structural Equation Modeling, Recursive Partitioning Regression Tree demonstrated patterns consistent with all three types of response shift, and Latent Trajectory Analysis, although unable to distinguish types of response shift, did detect response shift in less than 1% of the sample.

CONCLUSION

The methods and their findings were discussed for operationalization, interpretability, assumptions, ability to use all data points from the study sample, limitations, and strengths. Directions for future research are discussed.

Response shift in quality-of-life assessment in patients undergoing curative surgery with permanent colostomy: a preliminary study

The purpose of this preliminary study (N 13) was to investigate the impact of response shift in quality of life for cancer patients undergoing surgical resection with resultant permanent colostomy. Response shift was measured using a "then-test" approach. Quality of life was measured using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey version 2 (Japanese version). Baseline data (pretest scores) were collected before surgery when subjects completed the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey. Two months after the surgery, subjects were asked to respond again to the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey to assess their postsurgery quality-of-life (posttest score) level and their presurgery quality-of-life level (then-test score). Norm-based scoring for pretest, posttest, and then-test scores for each of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey domains was calculated. Response shift was assessed by the difference between pretest and then-test scores and effect size. Findings revealed that a moderate but significant response shift was observed in the bodily pain domain. A small response shift was observed in the role physical and vitality domains. The then-test score was higher than the pretest score. The same trend was observed in all other domains except general health. The results indicate that the unit of comparison in the subjects was changed by surgery. Knowledge of these phenomena would allow a better understanding of quality of life of these subjects.

The impact of response shift on perceived disability two years following rotator cuff surgery

BACKGROUND

Understanding how patients appraise their health-related problems is important for an accurate assessment of recovery over time. It has been proposed that the response shift phenomenon has an impact on self-report measures, and this may subsequently affect measurement of true treatment effects. The objective of the present study was to explore the impact of response shift on the subjective perception of disability following rotator cuff surgery.

METHODS

We conducted a repeated-measures study of the outcome following surgical decompression or repair of the rotator cuff. The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) questionnaire was used in a thentest design to measure recalibration response shift two years following surgery. Disability was measured with a disease-specific measure. Objective findings consisting of the range of motion and strength were recorded preoperatively and postoperatively. Parametric and nonparametric univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. The contribution of recall bias was estimated by assessing agreement between pretest and thentest scores on the basis of the percentage of agreement and the Spearman correlation coefficient.

RESULTS

One hundred and seven patients (forty-one women and sixty-six men; mean age, fifty-seven years) participated in the study. Seventy-two patients had decompression surgery and forty-four underwent a rotator cuff repair; nine patients had both procedures. A significant response shift was observed in the pain domain (p < 0.0001) and not in the functional ability domain of the ASES (p = 0.58). Three distinct patterns of response shift were observed. Univariate analyses showed that satisfaction with the result of the surgery, the range of motion, strength, age, and response shift were associated with disability. The final multivariate analysis showed that disability at two years following the surgery was affected by the range of motion (p < 0.0001), satisfaction (p = 0.006), age (p = 0.02), and response shift (p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

The response shift phenomenon exists in patients who have undergone surgery for rotator cuff disorders and has different patterns related to overrating or underrating of preoperative pain. A recalibration response shift characterized by overrating of preoperative pain was associated with lower levels of residual disability at two years following the surgery.

Understanding inconsistencies in patient-reported outcomes after spine treatment: response shift phenomena

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

Not uncommonly, spine surgeons and physiatrists note a mismatch between patient-reported outcome measures, where one measure might indicate a good outcome and another indicates an inferior outcome after spine treatment. This may be the result of patient characteristics that lead to changes in internal standards, values, and conceptualization of their own health-related quality of life. This can result in a "moving goal post" when a self-report outcome measure is used for prepost comparisons. These "response shifts" may obfuscate relevant changes of interest to clinicians and are meaningful and worthy of study in and of themselves.

PURPOSE

To provide a background on response shift with an emphasis on distinctions relevant to spinal interventions, both surgical and nonsurgical. To describe current methods for detecting and investigating response shift phenomena, and to propose specific hypotheses that can be tested in collaborative research.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Two types of methods will be briefly described: methods that require new data collection; and methods that use recent statistical and technical advances to implement secondary analysis of existing data. Two specific testable hypotheses for spinal disorders are suggested along with suggested methods for testing these hypotheses.

CONCLUSIONS

A response shift will cause the patient to use the same functional outcome report measure differently pre- and posttreatment. Response shift phenomena are likely to affect the measurement properties of standard spine outcome measures and to obfuscate differences between treatments in clinical trials and cost-effectiveness studies. They point to a need for developing strategies in clinical practice to manage response shifts so that they enhance patient well-being.

Symptoms and problems in a nationally representative sample of advanced cancer patients

Little is known about the need for palliative care among advanced cancer patients who are not in specialist palliative care. The purpose was to identify prevalence and predictors of symptoms and problems in a nationally representative sample of Danish advanced cancer patients. Patients with cancer stage 3 or 4 from 54 hospital departments (n = 1630) received the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Mean scores were calculated according to the scoring manual and in addition a 'symptom/problem' and a 'severe symptom/problem' was defined and calculated. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify predictors. In total, 977 (60%) patients participated. The most frequent symptoms/problems were fatigue (57%; severe 22%) followed by reduced role function, insomnia and pain. Age, cancer stage, primary tumour, type of department, marital status and whether the patient had recently been hospitalized or not were associated with several symptoms and problems. This is probably the first nationally representative study of its kind. It shows that advanced cancer patients in Denmark have symptoms and problems that deserve attention and that some patient groups are especially at risk.

Response shift in self-reported functional scores after knee microfracture for full thickness cartilage lesions

OBJECTIVE

Our aim was to determine whether response shift (RS), a change in the internal standards of a patient, occurs in patients treated for full thickness knee cartilage defects. We have also evaluated the effect of functional scores on patient satisfaction after surgery.

DESIGN

Self-administered questionnaires were used to evaluate pre- and post-operative and retrospective post-operative scores of 53 patients following knee microfracture. Patient satisfaction, Lysholm, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain and modified International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores were evaluated. RS (pre-test-then-test), unadjusted and adjusted treatment effects (UTE and ATE) and their effect sizes were calculated.

RESULTS

All four functional outcome measures had a positive RS. The effect size of the RS ranged from around 0.35 for the Lysholm and IKDC2 score to over 0.9 for the VAS pain score. Gender, age, smoking status and time since follow-up did not significantly affect the RS. RS did not differ significantly between the three patient satisfaction groups (P>0.05). Post-operative Lysholm and IKDC1 scores differed most significantly between the satisfaction groups.

CONCLUSIONS

All four scores had a significant shift, implying that patients thought they felt worse before the operation in retrospect than they did at the time. The traditional way of assessing treatment effect, difference between post-intervention and pre-intervention functional scores, may be confounded by change in the internal standards of the patient and should take this into account. RS did not affect the clinical interpretation in this case series. Patient-reported satisfaction after surgery is only related to post-operative scores.

Impact of radiotherapy on the quality of life of elderly patients with localized breast cancer. A prospective study

INTRODUCTION

There are few studies on the effect on quality of life (QL) of cancer-related illness and treatment in elderly patients. The aim of this work was to evaluate prospectively QL in a sample of elderly patients with stages I.III breast cancer who started radiotherapy treatment and compare their QL with that of a sample of younger patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty-eight patients, > or = 65 years of age completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QL questionnaires QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23, and the Interview for Deterioration in Daily Living Activities in Dementia (IDDD) daily activities scale three times throughout treatment and follow-up periods. Clinical and demographic data were also recorded. Fifty patients ages 40-64 years with the same disease stage and treatment modality had previously completed the QL questionnaires. QL scores, changes in them among the three assessments, differences between groups based on clinical factors, and differences between the two samples were calculated.

RESULTS

QL scoring was good and stable (>70/100 points) in most areas, in line with clinical data. Light and moderate limitations occurred in global QL and some emotional, sexual, and treatment-related areas. Moderate decreases (10-20) appeared in some toxicity-related areas, which recovered during the follow-up period. Breast-conservation and sentinel-node patients presented higher scores in emotional areas. There were few QL differences among agebased samples.

CONCLUSIONS

QL and clinical data indicate radiotherapy was well tolerated. Age should not be the only factor evaluated when deciding upon treatment for breast cancer patients.

Quality-of-life outcomes for adjuvant chemotherapy in early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer: results from a randomized trial, JBR.10

PURPOSE

Adjuvant chemotherapy for early stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is now the standard of care, but there is little information regarding its impact on quality of life (QOL). We report the QOL results of JBR.10, a North American, intergroup, randomized trial of adjuvant cisplatin and vinorelbine compared with observation in patients who have completely resected, stages IB to II NSCLC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

QOL was assessed with the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 and a trial-specific checklist at baseline and at weeks 5 and 9 for those who received chemotherapy and at follow-up months 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36. A 10-point change in QOL scores from baseline was considered clinically significant.

RESULTS

Four hundred eighty-two patients were randomly assigned on JBR.10. A total of 173 patients (82% of the expected) in the observation arm and 186 (85% of expected) in the chemotherapy arm completed baseline QOL assessments. The two groups were comparable, with low global QOL scores and significant symptom burden, especially pain and fatigue, after thoracotomy. Changes in QOL during chemotherapy were relatively modest; fatigue, nausea, and vomiting worsened, but there was a reduction in pain and no change in global QOL. Patients in the observation arm showed considerable improvements in QOL by 3 months. QOL, except for symptoms of sensory neuropathy and hearing loss, in those treated with chemotherapy returned to baseline by 9 months.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this trial indicate that the negative effects of adjuvant chemotherapy on QOL appear to be temporary, and that improvements (with a return to baseline function) are likely in most patients.

Experiences of Japanese Patients With Colorectal Cancer During the First Six Months After Surgery

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES

To investigate the dynamic experience of patients who recently experienced the stressful situation of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer and undergoing surgery.

RESEARCH APPROACH

A qualitative and inductive inquiry.

SETTING

General hospitals in Japan.

PARTICIPANTS

12 patients who had undergone colorectal cancer surgery and had been discharged in the previous six months.

METHODOLOGIC APPROACH

To inductively elicit the findings from patients' real experiences, interviews and qualitative analysis were used.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES

Experience of patients with colorectal cancer.

FINDINGS

Three domains that symbolized experiences of patients with colorectal cancer during the first six months after surgery emerged: types of burdens, steps in accepting the cancer diagnosis, and way of living a normal life. Burdens included vulnerability, lack of control, asking for assistance or support, and a "why has this happened to me?" attitude. Way of living a normal life included resisting vulnerability, constructing a daily living routine, and asking for help.

CONCLUSIONS

Although patients faced many and varied burdens, they were able to take several actions to gradually accept their cancer diagnoses and resume normal lives.

INTERPRETATION

Some of the patients were sincere and skillful in asking for help to live normal lives, but others found that difficult. The present findings are significant in helping nurses provide interventions to enable patients to make use of assistance or support.

The OVIS study: health related quality of life measured by the EORTC QLQ-C30 and -BR23 in German female patients with breast cancer from Schleswig-Holstein

The OVIS study is a population-based study that aims at evaluating medical care in Schleswig-Holstein (Germany). In this paper, the health related quality of life (QoL, EORTC QLQ-C30 and -BR23) of 1,927 women with breast cancer is reported. The global health status/QoL score was comparable to reference data of the age-adjusted German general population, but clinical meaningful differences (> or = 10 points) were found for all functioning scales (with the exception of physical functioning) and for three of the symptom scales/items (fatigue, dyspnoe, insomnia) with OVIS patients showing more deficits. Furthermore, OVIS patients scored higher on the item financial difficulties. Logistic regression analyses revealed that coming from an urban surrounding, having a higher social status and attendance to a regular aftercare predicted a good overall QoL, while factors that were related to perceived complications in the course of the therapy raised the risk for a low QoL rating. It is of interest, that attendance to a rehabilitation and interest in self-help groups independently predicted an increased risk for a low quality of life. Overall, we assume the global QoL is rating slightly too optimistic since major deficits were reported on the specific physical and functional scales/items.

Quality of Life assessment through the EORTC questionnaires of colorectal cancer patients in advanced disease stages

PURPOSE

The purpose of the present work is to evaluate Quality of Life in a group of colorectal cancer patients in advanced stages of their disease, along a standard chemotherapy treatment protocol, through the EORTC core questionnaire QLQ-C30 and the colorectal cancer module QLQ-CR38. These two questionnaires had previously been validated in our country. The present study has the novelty of its use during the chemotherapy treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A consecutive sample of 44 colon o rectal cancer patients in stage IV, from an initial group of 46 patients who were addressed, have filled in the questionnaires, in three moments during their treatment process. Clinical and demographic data have also been recorded. Quality of Life scores and changes in them among the three assessments have been calculated.

RESULTS

The quality of life scores of patients who have followed the treatment have been >70 points (100) in most dimensions, and has shown similar to the clinical data. Changes of >20 points in the quality of life scores during the treatment process appear in areas related to toxicity, fatigue and insomnia. Quality of life has been stable or has had small changes (between 10 and 20 points) in most dimensions.

CONCLUSIONS

Quality of Life in the present sample has been good in general. The treatment has been administered to patients who could tolerate it adequately.

The clinical significance of adaptation to changing health: a meta-analysis of response shift

AIMS

When individuals experience changes in their health states, they may alter their internal standards, values, or conceptualization of quality of life (QOL). Such 'response shifts' can affect or distort QOL outcome measurement, which is of particular concern when evaluating medical or psychosocial interventions. Although clinicians and researchers acknowledge the occurrence of response shifts, little is known about the magnitude and clinical significance of those effects. To fill this gap in knowledge about response shift phenomena, we performed a meta-analysis on published QOL articles on response shift.

METHODS

Extensive literature searches and multiple contacts with researchers yielded a collection of 494 articles for potential reviewing. We retained only published longitudinal studies that measured response shift, resulting in 26, of which 19 reported the requisite data for computing an effect size (ES). We calculated and compared the ESs for each study with regard to potential moderator variables: the QOL domains measured, disease group investigated, sample size, and response shift method used. We rated studies for quality to allow ES weighting.

RESULTS

When we examined ES absolute values, we found that ES magnitude was small, with the largest ESs detected for fatigue, followed by global QOL, physical role limitation, psychological well-being, and pain (mean absolute value(ES(weighted)) = 0.32, 0.30, 0.24, 0.12, and 0.08, respectively). ESs varied considerably in direction. Aggregating raw ES scores over all studies led to positive and negative values canceling each other out (mean directional ES(weighted) = 0.17, 0.02, -0.01, 0.06, and 0.02, respectively). We found little evidence of an effect for the moderator variables examined.

CONCLUSIONS

A definitive conclusion on the clinical significance of response shift cannot currently be drawn from existing studies. For a number of reasons, ES estimates were primarily based on then-test results, a method that is not without criticism, such as its susceptibility to recall bias. We recommend a standardized approach for reporting results of future response shift research to advance the field and to facilitate interpretation and comparisons across studies.

Understanding the process of adjustment to illness

This article examines the literature relating to adjustment to physical illness. Adjustment is invariably defined in the literature as some aspect of psychological function. However, in reality, adjustment is a process that begins at the presentation of symptoms and continues throughout the course of the illness and responds to changes in illness status. Physical illness can be conceptualized as a stressor, the demands of which depend upon the characteristics and severity of the illness. Recent research confirms that many of the factors known to be associated with the development of psychological disorders in the absence of physical illness are also relevant to the development of psychological problems in those with ill health. The prevalence of psychological disorders is also generally found to be considerably higher amongst those with a variety of health problems. Nonetheless, a considerable number of patients who experience even the most devastating of illnesses seem able to adjust to illness without experiencing clinically significant psychological problems. The processes by which these people are able to adjust and, in many cases, find positive meaning in their experiences, are important to understand. While a number of models have been put forward to explain various aspects of adjustment to chronic illness, an integrated approach that describes how the process of adjustment evolves is needed. Such an understanding will allow clinicians to improve interventions that facilitate adjustment and potentially prevent long-term problems. Facilitating a patient's adjustment to illness must be a priority in providing an optimal level of health care.

Changes in quality of life in patients with advanced cancer: evidence of response shift and response restriction

OBJECTIVE

Response shift is a process argued to facilitate adjustment to illness. This study investigated the relationship between response shift and adjustment.

METHODS

Fifty-six patients with metastatic cancer were interviewed using SEIQoL-DW and asked to nominate the five areas of most importance to them. Surviving patients were re-interviewed 3 (n=38) and 6 months (n=28) later.

RESULTS

The majority of patients showed evidence of restricted priorities close to the diagnosis of metastatic cancer. Approximately half the sample shifted their priorities from one area to another over time. Response shift was found to be helpful for those who nominated life domains that were poorly rated, but unhelpful, for those who shifted from a highly rated life domain.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that response shift is common during adjustment to illness. However, response shift can be helpful or unhelpful depending upon the context. The clinical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

Change in quality of life of people with stroke over time: True change or response shift?

In many studies, assessments of change in self-report measures such as health-related quality of life must account for potential response shift, including reconceptualization and changes in internal standards of measurement.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of our study was to compare healthy controls and individuals with stroke on the extent to which changes in internal standards and reconceptualization of health related quality of life (HRQL) occurs over the first 6 months post-stroke.

METHODS

Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess invariance of the SF-36 measurement model over time among 238 individuals with stroke and 392 controls, separately. This procedure assessed changes over time in the factor loadings, variances, and covariances of responses, and compared the extent of change between individuals with stroke and those in the control group. In addition a multisample comparison was made between individuals with stroke and members of the control group at the first evaluation in order to assess invariance of the SF-36 measurement model between the groups. The controls were considered to be a 'proxy' for the stroke cohort prior to the stroke.

RESULTS

We found no evidence of reconceptualization and changes in internal standards over time when the groups were assessed separately. There was a significant difference in the factor covariances (reconceptualization) between the two groups at the time of the first evaluation. However, measurement error was also significant for this comparison.

CONCLUSION

This study indicates that the improvement in HRQL over time is real rather than a result of reconceptualization or a recalibration. If response shift does occur with stroke it is likely to be mediated by the event itself and not the recovery process.

Quantifying trade-offs: quality of life and quality-adjusted survival in a randomised trial of chemotherapy in postmenopausal patients with lymph node-negative breast cancer

We evaluated quality of life (QL) and quality-adjusted survival in International Breast Cancer Study Group Trial IX, a randomised trial including 1669 eligible patients receiving tamoxifen for 5 years or three prior cycles of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (CMF) followed by 57 months tamoxifen. During the time with CMF toxicity (Tox), without symptoms and toxicity (TWiST), and following relapse (Rel), patients scored their QL indicators and a utility indicator for subjective health estimation between ‘perfect’ and ‘worst’ health. Scores were averaged within Tox, TWiST and Rel and transformed to utilities. Mean durations for the three transition times were weighted with utilities to obtain mean quality-adjusted TWiST (Q-TWiST). Patients receiving CMF reported significantly worse scores for most QL domains at month 3, but less hot flushes. After completing chemotherapy, there were no differences by treatment groups. Benefits evaluated by Q-TWiST favoured the additional chemotherapy. CMF provided 3 more months of Q-TWiST for patients with ER-negative tumours, but CMF provided no benefit in Q-TWiST for patients with ER-positive tumours. Q-TWiST analysis based on patient ratings is feasible in large-scale cross-cultural clinical trials.

[Measure of quality of life in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: techniques and main results]

PURPOSE

Until the 1990s, the patient's duration of life was the main measure for determining the value of palliative chemotherapy for colorectal cancer. Quality of life recently appeared as a main end point. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the instruments used to measure quality of life in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, to review the published data and to analyse the bias and methodological problems.

CURRENT KNOWLEDGE AND KEY POINTS

QoL is a multidimensional subjective concept, which can be measured using psychometric instruments. Quality of life measurement has a descriptive and prognostic value. Results from quality of life assessment in randomized trials have given useful information and help patients and physicians to choose between treatment options. More than half of the patients with palliative chemotherapy had at least stabilization of quality of life. Response to chemotherapy and side-effects influence quality of life. Quality of life assessment clearly requires methodological improvement. Missing data are a particularly difficult problem, which should be improved by a better organization.

FUTURE PROSPECTS AND PROJECTS

Psychometric properties of EORTC QLQ-CR38 et FACT-C should be checked in French language. An international consensus on methods of measurement of quality of life in oncology is warranted to enhance compliance, to better interpret quality of life results et to optimize publications of precise quality of life data.